


Stripped

by moonbeambucky



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Assault, Attempted Sexual Assault, Blood and Violence, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Getting to Know Each Other, Smut, Strip Tease, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Stripping, Violence, descriptions of lap dances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-10-15 08:05:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10552926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonbeambucky/pseuds/moonbeambucky
Summary: You are a SHIELD agent working undercover in a strip club whose owner is involved with organized crime. When you find out he might be in talks with HYDRA Bucky is brought in to help.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic and I'm *extremely* nervous about it. Comments are appreciated, please be kind!

You impatiently wait for your coffee to finishing brewing. You slump over the countertop pressing your aching, heavy head on the cool granite. You’ve had less than 3 hours of sleep and you really regret having to be up right now. You struggle to keep your tired eyes open. You shuffle your way towards the cabinet and grab a large mug, pouring your much needed boost of liquid energy.

For the last few months you've been working undercover for SHIELD. You work nights at a local strip club; waking up in the early afternoon and usually passing out as the sun begins to rise. You are good at being undercover. You can seamlessly blend in to new scenarios but your eyes and ears are always open. If anyone asked why you began stripping your back story is that your ex trashed your credit before dumping you and you needed to make some cash quickly to pay your debt. Your new boss, Anthony Martucci had given you the slower nights to start. When he saw the amount of private dances you were booking he adjusted your schedule. Prime nights meant prime clients and that is exactly why you were there.

The Martucci family is notorious in the world of organized crime. SHIELD began investigating them when some associates of theirs were found smuggling weapons that bared a strong resemblance to old HYDRA weapons from the 1940s. It took some time to get Anthony to trust you but your patience paid off. He let you into his private office, a privilege only a few girls have had. He liked the way you mixed his drinks but even more so, he loved watching you make them. He was handsy every now and then and you were thankful he never took it too far. A few nights ago you were in his office when you heard the magic word… HYDRA. His associate was talking louder than he intended thanks to your potent cocktails. He mentioned a contact would be coming to the club soon for business.

You told your director what you overheard and she went right to work making arrangements for a suitable partner to help now that HYDRA has been confirmed. This is why you were awake at this ungodly hour. Bucky Barnes is on his way to the apartment you’ve been living in while on assignment. Yawning again, you pour another cup of coffee. You look at the clock and see almost an hour has passed. You wish you knew he was going to be late so you could have slept a little longer. Feeling the hunger pang of your mostly empty stomach you pour a bowl of cereal and begin to eat. You sit at the counter staring mindlessly at your tablet, catching up on some reading, while your hand robotically brings the spoon to the bowl and back up to your mouth and down again. You were zoned out and unaware that a key was put in the front door, the knob turning. You were caught off guard as the front door opened and Bucky walked in.

His presence was captivating. He stood tall and broad, his muscles clinging to the fabric of his dark blue shirt. Brown hair framed his face which was covered with light scruff. His eyes stood out to you most. They were blue-grey orbs, truly beautiful and entrancing. He was staring right at you and that’s when a wave of embarrassment washed over you. Your eyes widened as you quickly put your hand over your face, rapidly chewing and swallowing the excessive amount of cereal in your mouth. Swallowing hard you got up and apologized to him as you introduced yourself.

“Hi, I’m Y/N. Uh, Agent Y/L/N. It’s a pleasure to meet you Sergeant Barnes.”

“Thanks. You can call me…” he is interrupted by another man who strutted in slowly after Bucky.

“Well, well. Hello Y/N. You look awful… Tired that is,” the man said as he laughed.

You avoid rolling your eyes in front of Bucky, trying to be professional. “Agent Moore. What a pleasure,” you reply with a hint of sarcasm.

Agent Tyler Moore has had his eyes on you since you started working for SHIELD. He is a tall and tanned, conventionally attractive except for his massive ego. He is well known for treating women like garbage. You’ve consoled a few agents you found crying in the bathroom at work after their less than pleasant nights with him. You knew not to fall for his games and this made him try to pursue you even harder.

“I briefed Barnes on the assignment. He should be ready for the job tonight.”

You look at him in disbelief. “Agent Moore, may I speak with you outside?” 

You wanted to scream at Tyler but not in front of Bucky. You excuse yourself to him, letting him know to make himself comfortable. You push Tyler into the hallway and leave the door ajar.

“What do you mean tonight? Director Hill knows I’m not working tonight. You know, I really doubt she would have scheduled this thing for today.”

“Well… there may have been a mix up… altered paperwork or something,” Tyler said with a smug smile. You wanted to knock his teeth out.

“You know what Tyler I am exhausted. This is bullshit. Not only do you pull this on my day off but you get here late too?”

He leans in closer to you, the scent of his cologne invading your senses. “Since you’re off today I could come by later and pick you up for dinner.”

“Not a chance,” you say, backing away from him as much as you could.

“Great. We can just skip right to the sex,” he replied.

“You really disgust me,” you say as you slam the door behind you.  

You rub your temples and breathe deeply trying to calm down. You open your eyes to see Bucky leaning against the back of the couch staring at you with concern.

“Are you okay?” he gently asks.

You take another deep breath and nod your head. “Yeah I’m alright. Thank you Sergeant Barnes.”

“It’s Bucky,” he chuckled. There was an awkward silence before Bucky spoke again, “So that guy was pretty rude huh?”

“Yeah, he…” you pause. You hold your tongue, not wanting to make your first impression worse than you feel it already is. “I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what you heard. That was unprofessional of me.”

“No need to apologize. I spent the morning with him and I definitely have some choice words.”

You laugh a little, relieved that someone else understands the awfulness that is Tyler Moore. You want to spill all the negative thoughts you have about him but realize it’s not appropriate. Instead you quote Bambi.

“Well, if you can’t say something nice...” you start.

“Don’t say nothing at all,” Bucky echoes. “Wow Bambi right? It’s been ages since I thought about that movie. It was the last one I saw before the war.”

You marvel at that thought. The man in front of you, who is biologically close in age to you, saw Bambi in 1942. “I have it actually. We could watch it if you want to reminisce.”

Bucky agrees and after briefly showing him around the apartment you rummage through a drawer to get your flash drive. SHIELD was paying for the apartment and the basics but cable was not one of them; you knew to come prepared. You put the flash drive in the TV and sat next to Bucky on the couch. As Bambi began slipping on the ice, you were unaware that you had slipped into a nap.

You woke up hours later groaning sleepily as you study your surroundings. You found yourself leaning on Bucky’s chest with his arm draped over you. He looks down at you and flashes a sweet smile. Your face flushes with embarrassment as you profusely apologize for falling asleep on him. He assures you that it’s okay. He told you he finished Bambi and decided to watch other movies from the drive. You insist that you make it up to him by cooking dinner.

You hop in the shower to help wake yourself up and afterwards and begin cooking. Bucky asks if he can help you but you insist you have it covered. You made small talk as you were preparing the food, unaware that Bucky was focused on watching you with a smile plastered on his face. The smell of your cooking spreads through the small apartment. Bucky looked through the cabinets until he found cups and plates. He set the table for you both.

Dinner was ready. You made grilled beef skewers, roasted potatoes with lemon, rosemary and thyme, and a salad with romaine, apricots and feta cheese. Bucky savored every bite as if this was first time he’s tasted food. His eyes were closed and the corners of his mouth were turned up as he contently chewed. Your thoughts became sad thinking about how he was treated by HYDRA. You read some of the files SHIELD acquired. He was rarely given food to eat; the majority of his sustenance came through an IV. You were happy to indulge him. He praised your cooking as the best meal he’s ever had. You laugh at his comment, knowing that this was probably the limit of your skills.

You continue to sit at the table and talk long after you’ve both finished eating. Throughout dinner you notice that he’s kept his left hand down on his lap, bringing it up briefly if he needed to use it and then hiding it quickly. You know he is self conscious about his metal appendage and you can’t help but to feel sorry for everything he’s been through. Director Hill briefed you that dealing with Bucky might be difficult. He was still adjusting to modern life and coming to terms with his past. Despite that, he seems cheerful. He’s very open and friendly, and oh so charming! He’s smiling and laughing, and you felt good knowing that you made him let go and enjoy himself.

The evening was winding down for Bucky. It was nearing midnight. You set up the couch with pillows and blankets. You said goodnight and you went to your room. You planned on staying up for a few hours to try to get back into your normal night-owl routine. You changed into sleep shorts and a tank top and then kept yourself busy for a few hours. You did your nails, tweezed your eyebrows. Around 4am you found yourself wrapped in your blanket watching Netflix on your laptop. You pause your show a few times, thinking you heard a noise. You were silent for a few moments to listen for it again but you decided it must be the hissing of the old heating system in the apartment. You went back to your laptop until you heard it again, louder this time, and realized the noise was coming from the living room.

You close your laptop and open the door. You see Bucky writhing on the couch. He’s grunting. His eyebrows are furrowed; the sheen of sweat accentuates his frowning. He sounds like he is in pain. You lean over him and gently whisper his name, ghosting your fingers over his hands which are clenched tightly into fists. You don’t want to scare him. You whisper his name softly again, this time lightly touching his chest. His eyes fly open in panic. He jolts up, panting heavily. His eyes dart around the room until they find you.

You continue to whisper, “Bucky, it’s okay. Shhh I’m here.” You sit down slowly. “I’m here.” You take his hand, gently rubbing it with your thumb.

He takes a deep breath as your touch seems to calm him. He turns his body towards you. His head is tilted down but his glossy eyes are looking up at you. He looks scared and possibly embarrassed. He leans towards you, silently asking for acceptance to be held. You open your arms to him and he practically throws himself into your embrace.

You hug him tight at first reassuring him that everything is going to be okay. The top of his head is under your chin. You bring your hand up and run it through his hair. You feel him sigh deeply into you. “That feels nice,” he says softly. You continue this motion as Bucky let out a small whimper of satisfaction. You instinctively place a sweet kiss on his forehead. Realizing your actions, you take a breath to try and slow your heart rate. You focus on Bucky, grazing your fingers through his scalp while your other hand rubs his back.

Bucky responds by leaning into you with more force, causing you to awkwardly free your bent leg from beneath your body and lean back against the couch. He is nuzzled in the crook of your neck. You continue gently scratching his head and before long you feel Bucky’s body relax, resting heavily on top of you as he falls asleep in your embrace.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Bucky are still getting to know each other. Fluff, and some feels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was really long at first so I'm going to turn part of it into Chapter 3 which I'll post this weekend. I think my dialogue tenses are all over the place so I hope it's not distracting. As always feedback is appreciated but most of all thank you for reading!

You wake up a few hours later with the sudden urge to use the bathroom. You look down to find Bucky’s head resting on the peaks of your breasts with his arms holding onto you. He looks so sweet and peaceful. You hate the thought of disturbing him, especially after his rough night but you have to. You try to wiggle your way out from under the super soldier to no avail.

“Bucky,” you call, as you gently nudge him. He stirs slightly but does not wake up. You call his name again with a firmer voice and he opens his eyes. His gaze is directed at your hardened nipple pressing against your tank top. He seems surprised by his position, stuttering slightly as if to apologize but he’s not getting up fast enough. “Bucky please move. I have to pee so badly!”

He pops up quickly allowing you to run to the bathroom. You come back to the couch once you’ve finished and Bucky apologizes for trapping you underneath him. He chuckles but is sincere. You glance at the clock and see that it’s only a little past 7am. So much for getting back on your schedule.

You yawn and stretch out your arms and legs and suddenly you are stricken with an intense sharp pain in your leg. “Owowowowow,” is all you can manage to say as you grip the arm of the couch with your right hand. Bucky frantically asks what’s wrong but you’re in too much pain to formulate anything other than sounds of agony. You nudge your chin towards your leg. He scans your body and sees your calf muscle contracted. Unsure of what to do he grabs your free hand. You squeeze his hand hard as you ride out the muscle spasm. When your calf finally relaxes you exhale deeply.

“Charley horse,” you breathe out, letting go of his hand.  
“I’m sorry. It’s probably my fault for sleeping on you like that.”  
“No it’s not you. I’ve been getting these lately from work,” you assure him. “It’s the heels,” you laugh a little to yourself before bringing your hands up to your face concealing a huge yawn. “I’m going to get a few more hours of sleep.”

You get up and limp slightly, unable to put all of your weight on your leg. Bucky helps you to your room. You move your laptop to the nightstand and plop face down on the bed. You stretch your legs out and you are reminded by the tender ache in your calf to stop your actions.

“Shouldn’t have done that,” you groan.  
“I still feel bad. How can I help you?” Bucky asks.

You don’t know how to respond. Before you can think of something he asks if massaging the muscle would help. You gladly allow him to try.

Bucky kneels next to you. He glances up your legs but quickly averts his eyes away as your shorts have bunched up, exposing the crease where your upper thigh meets your butt. Despite wanting his gaze to linger he feels embarrassed for looking, especially without your permission. He focuses on his offer instead.

Bucky places his hands above your ankle. You quiver slightly under his initial touch. He takes his hands and works slow relaxing strokes up your leg before using a bit more pressure to knead your muscles. The sensation of his hands, his warm natural hand and cool but surprisingly gently metal one, cause goosebumps to erupt on your skin. Under different circumstances this massage would feel amazing. You wince slightly as he works the tender muscle and he takes that as his cue to stop.

“Maybe another time Bucky. It’s too sore right now,” you say as you yawn again.

He grins from ear to ear, elated by the notion of massaging you again. He covers you with your blanket, quietly wishing you to sleep well. He shuts the blinds to make the room as dark as it can be before he silently leaves your room.

“Stay,” you say softly before falling asleep, unaware he had left the room.

* * *

The smell of coffee fills your room. You wake up to find yourself alone in bed and feel slightly disappointed. You check the time and see that you slept for another 5 hours. Wiping away the sleep from your eyes you get up. You still feel the ache in your calf but you can walk comfortably.

Opening the door you see Bucky sitting on the couch with your tablet in his lap. He is wearing a black long sleeved shirt and grey sweatpants. His hair is tied back but messy, as if he only combed it with his fingers. He looks up and smiles as he sees you enter the living room.

“Good morning beautiful. I made you coffee and I hope you don’t mind…” he motioned to the tablet as he put it down on the table, “I was kind of bored. I couldn’t get the stick to work on the TV so I was playing around on this thing.  Found books to read,” he continued.

“I’m sorry. I should have showed you how to access it. You just need to press this.” You leaned over him to point out the source button on the remote and _wait did he just call me beautiful?_

You blush and head towards the coffee pot. You focus on pouring yourself a cup. Turning around to sit at the counter you jump slightly as Bucky is right behind you. For a giant of a man he is incredibly quiet. You surmise his years as a trained assassin have something to do with that.

“You made an incredible dinner last night so I was hoping I could make you a somewhat decent breakfast in return,” he says with an innocent smile. How could you refuse?  
“Bucky it’s lunchtime,” you tease, smiling back at him.  
“What is the first meal you eat after waking up? Breakfast!” he proclaimed.

Bucky made scrambled eggs and the fluffiest pancakes you’ve ever had, and he put strawberries and blueberries on the side. While you’re eating you continue getting to know each other. Bucky asks why you wanted to work for SHIELD. You told him that your father was in law enforcement so it was something you grew up around. Despite your mother’s protests, it was something you knew you would end up in as well.

“He died during the Battle of New York. After that I joined SHIELD, to honor him.” You sniffle and let a few tears casually drop down your cheek before wiping them away.

“I’m so sorry. He sounds like a great man,” Bucky says, rubbing his thumb over your knuckles. You didn’t expect to talk about your dad, normally you’re very private but somehow opening up to Bucky felt so natural.

You shift the conversation towards lighter subjects until you’re interrupted by an unfamiliar ringtone. Bucky hesitates in getting up before searching through his duffle bag and pulling out his phone.

“Hey.  … Yeah pal. Sorry, I forgot. … No, I’m good. … Yeah. … Things are going great.” He turns back towards you and flashes a smile. “Right. … I know. … Okay. I won’t forget. … Bye.”

“Everything okay?” you ask.  
“Yeah. I just forgot to check in with Steve. He, uh, he worries about me,” he said with a small laugh.  
“He’s a good friend,” you reply.

After finishing breakfast you thank Bucky for the meal and start to wash the dishes, some of which were left over from last night. Bucky dries a few of the larger items, your hands touching briefly during the exchange. You inhale to keep your composure as the tension you share is steadily rising.

Knowing you need to get ready for work you decide to go over a few things with Bucky. He was going to the club tonight and knowing HYDRA may show up at any point SHIELD knew the Winter Soldier couldn’t casually stroll in. He gives you the small metal briefcase Agent Moore gave him.

“Did he explain this to you?” Bucky shook his head no. “Figures.”

You open the case and explain the photostatic veil, the thin mesh of nano-sized holographic cells that will alter his appearance. You ask if you can put it on him first to show him how it works. You touch his face lightly, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. His eyes close for a brief moment under your touch.

You take the veil out of the case, gently pinching the top with your fingers. Bucky stares at the technology with trepidation but allows you to place it on him. You stare at the new face in front of you. His slate blue eyes are replaced with brown eyes so dark you can barely see his pupils. His once plump pink lips are now lighter in color and slightly thinner. The dimple in his chin is gone, his nose was thinner and the shape of his face was longer overall. He follows you to the bathroom to look in the brightly lit mirror.

He stares at his reflection in shock. “Who is this?” he wonders.

You fight the urge to make a Game of Thrones reference you weren’t sure he would understand. “I’m not really sure. These can be programmed to anyone SHIELD gets DNA from. It can be other agents or sometimes volunteers.”

He stares closer at the stranger occupying his reflection. You show him how to remove the veil and then have him practice taking it on and off until he’s perfected the action.

“What about this?” He wears a deep frown on his face as he extends his metal arm out.

You take his hand and pull him to follow you back to the couch. Bucky tenses up as he did not expect you to touch him, especially not that hand. That hand has caused a lot of pain and yet you grabbed it without hesitation. His frown became a tight lipped smile. His heart swells at the notion that you don’t fear him or see him as the monster he thinks he is. He relaxes his hand and intertwines his fingers with yours.

You sense his firm grip and for a brief moment you forget what you were going to do. Shaking off your nerves you grab another sheet from the briefcase.

“They designed this one for your hand. See.”

You lay it over his metal appendage. Silver disappeared before his eyes to reveal a flesh toned hand. It’s not exactly identical to his right hand but close enough, and for a dimly lit club no one will be able to tell. The veil covers just an inch or two above his wrist.

“You’ll still have to wear a jacket or something but otherwise you won’t draw any unnecessary attention,” you say.

Bucky is silent while staring at the faux flesh. His breathing becomes panicked, face stricken with fear. His heart was pounding with such force he could swear that you felt it. “T-take it off,” he begs.

You quickly remove the veil, carelessly tossing it aside. Bucky’s head is in his hands as he tries to regulate his breathing. You snake your arm around him and hug him tightly. He calms down quickly with the pressure of your embrace. He turns to you, finding comfort through your sympathetic eyes.

“Sorry. Seeing my hand like that just… It’s been so long and… bad… memories.”  
“You don’t have to apologize. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put it on so quickly. If you don’t want to wear it you don’t have to. We can think of something else.”  
“No I can do it. I’ll be fine,” he insisted. “I can’t risk you getting hurt.”

You try to smile, a token of your thanks for his sacrifice, but inside your stomach is twisting. You feel terrible for unintentionally causing him this pain. You excuse yourself to shower and spend most of the time mentally chastising yourself. Director Hill was right in a way about handling Bucky, but he isn’t difficult. You just need to be more sensitive to how he is dealing with things.

You stare at your foggy reflection while combing the knots out of your hair. Securing your towel you open the door to find Bucky seemingly waiting for you.

“Uhh-hi,” you squeak, not expecting him to stand before you.  
“Can we talk?”  
“Yeah, just give me a minute.”

You change into an oversized t-shirt and sweatpants. Your mind is racing through all scenarios of why he wants to talk. None of which end well. You sit on the couch and nervously play with the dripping wet ends of your hair.

You brace yourself for what he’s going to say but you already know. _He can’t handle this job. You pushed him too far. How could you be so stupid? He called Steve who called Director Hill and now he’s leaving._

“I realized I never thanked you for last night.”  
“Wait, what?” you questioned.

He rubs the back of his neck, “I have these nightmares sometimes. It hasn’t happened in a while actually.”

Bucky inches closer to you.  “Steve has a good reason to worry, you know. This is my first mission without him since joining the team. Between that and,” he takes a deep breath before continuing, “HYDRA... I worry too.”

“What are you worried about?” You ask him, hoping the tone in your voice shows sincerity.  
“I don’t want to let anybody down. I finally have my life back and sometimes it feels like the world is waiting for me to do something wrong again, to take it away.”

Your heart is aching for him as you see his eyes quickly welling up with tears. There have been many reports on Bucky Barnes since the revelation that he was a former brainwashed assassin. So many opinions from elected officials demanding his execution, to fellow soldiers advocating for history’s longest prisoner of war, and dozens of psychologists arguing for and against him. But no report could ever sum up the man in front of you.

“I deserve that though. For everything I’ve done,” he continues. “I’ll never escape my past. The nightmares prove it. HYDRA broke me.”  His voice cracks as he speaks and you can’t bear to let him continue.

“Hey, listen to me Bucky. You’re not broken,” you firmly say. “You’re a survivor. You went through so much but you’re still here.”

You bring your hand up to his cheek. His head hangs low with sorrow but he nuzzles into your touch. “And you deserve happiness.”  
“You really believe that?”  
“Yes.”  
“Thank you.”

You pull him in to a comforting hug, wrapping your arms tightly around him and he embraces you back with equal force. You feel his breath on your neck. He drops his arms and moves to face you again, your foreheads now touching.

He shifts his gaze from your lips to your eyes, staring deeply into them. He licks his lips before speaking, “Can I kiss you?”  
“Yes,” you say in a breathy moan.

Bucky leans in and kisses you slow and tenderly. He savors the sensation as his soft lips mold perfectly with yours. You moan into his lips and open your mouth, allowing his tongue access to dance with yours.

You bring your hand up to his cheek; your need to touch him growing by the second. Every nerve in your body feels electrified and your core is radiating with heat.

A moan escapes as your lips separate from each other. Bucky stares at you, his eyes crinkling from the smile he can’t help. You bite your bottom lip in return, playfully staring up at him. He wraps his arms around you and leans back into the couch. Your head is resting on his chest with your arm thrown across his stomach.

“So,” you sigh, pacing your inhalation with the rise of his chest. “This assignment is really close to ending. I don’t want to mess anything up by being distracted. But, um, believe me when I say I’d really like to see where this goes after… if you wanted to of course.”  
Bucky kisses your forehead and smiles, “I absolutely want to.”

You cuddle together for a few minutes before glancing at the time. You get up from the couch explaining that you have to start getting ready for work. Bucky grabs the tablet to continue reading but he can’t focus on anything but you. He is reliving the sensation of your lips on his and is looking forward to the next time he can kiss you again.

Putting down the tablet he watches as you style your hair in the bathroom. You have some basic makeup on and you’ve changed into a more form fitting shirt and jeans. You head to the kitchen to eat a quick dinner, usually eating something light before work.

You gave Bucky the club’s address and told him he didn’t have to show up before 11pm. That would give you some time to gather new information. You gave him a large handful of cash which slightly confused him. You told him to just be casual, tip well and enjoy himself until you found him.

You grab your bag, concealing a gun in the zippered compartment. You throw on a hoodie and before heading out you turn to Bucky.

“When I get home I usually need a little time to decompress. I like to sit on the balcony and look at the stars while they’re still visible. Maybe we could do that together?” you suggest.  
“I would love that.”

He kisses your hand and hugs you before walking you to the door. He watches you walk down the hallway, and shuts the door after you’ve faded from his view. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is meeting you at the strip club. You hope to find out new information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a lot of research on strip clubs but took liberties with some things. I hope you enjoy this. Thanks for reading!

The club was not far from the apartment. You liked to walk there. Some days you took your time, casually studying the minute details of the familiar streets. It was times like that when the weight of this assignment felt too much. Sometimes your head was not in the right place to be undercover and so you used these long walks to mentally prepare yourself.

Tonight you walked with a little zest in your step. You thought about Bucky, your kiss and spending more time with him. You felt as light as air and before you knew it you had floated to the club in record time.

Coming off of your cloud you stood in the alleyway of the Blush Lounge. Here you were, again. You were feeling worn out by this assignment. Every night you were physically drained and mentally exhausted. Adding the extra stress of being undercover didn’t help. Behind your pretense you cataloged everything; memorizing names, faces and information you learned each night.

Working here and blending in for so long sometimes made you forget that stripping wasn’t your real job. You have nothing against people in this profession, in fact you have a new sense of respect for them, but you are more than looking forward to going back to sitting at a desk for a while.

You knock on the side door for entrance. Joseph, a broad man with dark hair and eyes, greets you warmly. He is one of Anthony’s most trusted security guards. You head to the back passing Adam the bartender as he is grabbing clean glasses.

You enter the dressing room, a large room with lockers against one wall and a long table against a wall of mirrors and vanity lighting on the opposite side. Beyond the lockers is entrance to the bathroom, equipped with 2 shower stalls.

There are a handful of girls working tonight. You greeted your makeshift family. Mostly everyone got along or at least they knew enough not to start anything at work. Everyone knew the Martucci’s reputation and so the girls didn’t bring their trouble to the club. Except for one who was fired during your first week there. She was a party girl who was focusing too much on her own fun. She got into a fight with a customer in a private room, accused him of stealing her coke. Anthony was _not_ happy. He told everyone he has no problem with girls having fun as long as they had it under control.

You open your locker and hang up your bag. You start to undress as you’re greeted by one of your closest friends.

“Hey Val.” _Close friends, yeah right. They don’t even know my real name._

You said your name was Valerie, but on stage you were Valentina. This was the character you needed to be to help your mind focus on the task at hand and not your anxieties about stripping. You indulged in buying sexy outfits and lingerie, mostly reds and pinks.

“Hi Charlene,” you respond, taking out the glue for your signature glitter heart pasties.   
“Tell me what you think,” she asks, as she shows off a fuchsia bikini which looks amazing against the backdrop of her dark skin.  
“I love the way it crosses around your neck in front. So cute. Makes your tits look great too!”

Charlene was the first girl that was really friendly with you. On stage she goes by Jasmyn. You learned she’s been working here for almost 3 years mainly to help pay for school. She is currently waiting for the results of her MCATs. She had you quiz her a few times and you wonder if you’ll still be on this assignment when she learns that she passed (because you know she will!)

You changed into red sequined ruffled bra with halter straps and matching red booty shorts. Underneath you had your trusted red pasties and a small red g-string. You slip into clear 6” heels before moving to the mirror to finish your makeup and fix your hair.

You sat down beside your other friend Mikiko. She went by Kiki. She was a tall and lean and had small breast implants. She helped you learn some tricks on the pole when you were first hired.

Amanda sat on your other side. She was a sweet girl, but not well liked by everyone. She was a bleached blonde with a tan just bordering on orange. Her implants seemed too large for her small frame but she was happy with them. She is a part time dental assistant and she usually only works on weekends while her 3 year old son Dylan is with his father.

“Mike took him to Disney,” she whines. “I was gonna do that. I’m so mad!”  
“Mandy, I’m sure Dylan will be just as excited when you take him!” you reply.

You finish getting ready and enter the club which is dimly covered in shades of dark blue. Santiago the DJ is blasting music as Gabriela, better known as Lexus, is dancing on the main stage. It’s the largest of the three stages, with an LED floor that is currently emitting a hot pink hue. The other stages were much smaller by comparison. Five chairs flanked a small staircase in the center. A pole stood in the center of the floor which sparkled like an iridescent rainbow when the spotlights were on.

You make your rounds saying hello to the patrons. There is a group of older bikers sitting at the bar with a beer in hand. They nod as you sway past them. You see a shy wave come from Drew, one of your regulars. He turns as red as your outfit after you smile back and blow him a kiss. You flirt with Eduardo, a 30-something businessman who typically books an hour with you in the VIP room. He likes to take his time watching the other girls first but you’re sure you’ll be seeing him later.

A young man approaches you. He flashes a bright white smile and despite the dim light you see his pale green eyes sparkling. He introduces himself as Derrick and asks for a private dance. Although he is very confident you can tell by the way he is looking around the club that this is his first time here. You invite him to the bar first and he orders a rum and coke. Adam pours you a drink as well, minus the alcohol. Some girls don’t mind drinking while they work but you knew you couldn’t.

You grab Derrick’s hand as you bring him to a hallway blocked by a black curtain and Danny the large security guard, who makes sure that the dances are paid for in advance.

Behind the curtain is a row of doors to the left which are the small rooms and 2 doors on the right for the larger ones.

You bring Derrick into the room. The walls were a rose pink, bathed in hints of gold coming from the warm table lamps beside a small white leather love seat. There are speakers hanging from the ceiling, pumping in the music from the club and a small knob near the door to control the sound.

You sat Derrick down, taking his hands in yours as you explained your rules. You place his palms on your sides, just under your bra. You slide his hands down your body down to your thighs explaining that is where he can touch you.

In front the club had to abide by the law. On stage you can strip down to pasties and g-strings and no one can touch the girls apart from placing money in their clothes. In the back it was a different story. The rules of the private rooms were at the discretion of each girl, though Anthony encouraged everyone to partake in all activities. As long as he got his cut of the money he didn’t care. He had the cops paid off, sometimes via a few of the girls.

When you first started working you were very shy. Not confident in your pole skills and even more nervous about undressing to practically nothing. Emotionally you felt just as naked. You were wearing your insecurities like a tightly wrapped blanket and it showed. But you knew in order to truly blend in here you had to shed those feelings.

You did so quickly and built a following of regulars booking you in the VIP room. Your limits varied for different customers, but in general you never got naked, they couldn’t touch you where you didn’t want them to and you did not have sex of any kind.

You start dancing for Derrick, moving to the music. You rub your hands down your body as you start to move seductively. You playfully drop the straps to your bra. You tease unhooking it a few times before you toss it to the floor. You hold your breasts in your hand as you turn around to tease Derrick some more. You let your breasts release revealing your sparkly hearts. You caress your body up and down. You turn your back to Derrick, slowly pressing your ass into his lap, moving it in circles to the beat. You turn around to straddle him. Derrick palms your thighs and you bring your arms up to his neck, maintaining sultry eye contact. He licks his lips in response. You grind on his lap again and then the song is over. Derrick thanks you for the dance and by the way he was smiling and wiping his forehead you know he’ll be back.

That was part of your appeal or at least in your justification to Anthony when he would pursue you to engage in more during the private rooms. You said you were playing hard to get and that you were building up it to it with your regulars. He would always give a disapproving look. You tried to explain that they will pay _much_ higher for something they’ve been craving for so long. He disagreed, saying he likes money now and not the idea of it in the future, but he didn’t push the issue any further.

You have a few more lap dances. One older guy was very nice but smelled awful. You thought about menial things during that dance… when does the milk expire? Do you need to buy more chicken? What gift did your cousin want for their birthday?

Eduardo booked his hour with you. You dance for a little bit in the beginning but you ended up talking with him for a good portion of the time which is usually what happens. After getting to know him over the last few months you allowed him more flexibility with your boundaries. Sometimes he wanted you to sit in his lap while he rubs your shoulders. One time he wanted to strip down to his boxers and hold you. He enjoyed feeling the warmth of your soft body on his. Tonight he was giving you a pretty amazing foot massage while he was discussing his fears about getting married. He was in love with his fiancée Laura, but his parents divorced when he was young and he worries his relationship might end the same way. You give the best advice you can to him and wonder if SHIELD should have given you therapy training before sending you here. You were really surprised by how many people open up to a mostly naked stranger.

You leave the VIP area and scan the club, wondering if Bucky was there yet. You head backstage to freshen up before being called on to the main stage. You change your shoes into similar ones with ankle straps and slip a red garter up your right thigh. When you’re done you head up front giving a signal to Santiago that you are ready to go on after Kiki finishes.

“Ladies and gentlemen please welcome to the main stage, Valentina” Santiago announced to the club.

You slowly walk on to the stage, grabbing the pole and leaning against it, arching your back and flaunting your ass towards the crowd. You hold the pole as you lean back, slowly lowering yourself to the floor; the LED lights bathing you in a complementary blue-green. Rolling onto your knees you slide your arms in front of you and slink forward, popping your ass up.

You move back sitting on your heels, rolling your head as your hair whips around. You lift your hips and roll them a few times, bringing your hands up to caress your breasts. In a quick fluid movement you slide your legs in front of you, leaning back on your elbows you bring you legs up straight up before splitting them apart. Bringing them together again you bend them and sit on your side before getting back on your knees again. Facing away this time, you slide forward giving the audience a better view of your toned behind.

You stand up after grabbing the pole, swinging your legs around it until you face the crowd again. Leaning against the pole you lift your arms above your head and roll your hips a few times. You look out into the sea of faces; Drew is anxiously holding money in his hand. You can tell he is debating when he should go up and give it to you. Eduardo stares at you with a huge grin, you see him reach in his jacket for his wallet. Random faces are staring at you lustfully but one face stands out.

Sitting at the bar you see Bucky wearing the face of a stranger. His now dark eyes appear to be astonished by the sight of you. You continue your striptease as if Bucky is the only person watching. You do a few body rolls before you grab the pole tighter, jumping slightly into a twirl as you gracefully glide around the pole. You unclasp your bra hearing the sound of cheers over the dance music. Hooking your leg around the pole you twirl a few more times before grinding on the floor again. You stand up and bend over hooking your thumbs in the waistband of your shorts, teasing the crowd as you slowly pull them down to reveal a small piece of red material that barely passes as a g-string.

You continue your floor work, routinely stopping to accept money being tucked into your garter or g-string. Drew has finally gotten up and he delicately places the money on the back of your thigh. You twirl around the pole a few more times, sliding down again to the floor, ending your routine in a pseudo split. Your eyes catch Bucky’s again as you collect the rest of the money that’s been carelessly thrown on the stage.

You head to the dressing room, grateful to be out of your heels. You pat the sweat of your glistening body away and use baby wipes to clean up a bit. “Big Vito”, Anthony’s right hand man, enters the locker room, passing by a few girls in the middle of changing though no one is alarmed by his presence. He asks you to change and come upstairs. Anthony must have guests. That’s usually when he had you personally tend the bar for him.

You change into a pale pink bra and matching sheer skirt and thong set, adorned with pink bows. You swapped your red heart pasties for pink ones. The skirt had garter straps which held up your matching lace top thigh high stockings. You slip on your heels again and Vito escorts you up to Anthony’s office.

You greet Anthony with a kiss on the cheek. He twirls you around, making sure he and his guests, Bobby his regular associate and a man you haven’t seen before, can get a good look at you.

Anthony and Bobby demand their usual drinks. “And for you, Mister…” you say, as you place your hand on his knee. He looks up at you with a sly smile.

“You can call me Nicholai,” he says with an accent you’re trying to place. Definitely Slavic.   
“And I’ll have you screaming it all night,” he boasts.

As if you haven’t heard that one before. You mentally roll your eyes as you flirt back with him, asking again what he wants.

You listen closely as you stand behind the bar mixing drinks. Nicholai, whose last name you’ve learned is Zinovac, is definitely here to represent HYDRA. Their conversation becomes inaudible at times so you do your best to listen out for keywords or names.

You bring the men their drinks. Nicholai smacks his hand against your ass and roughly grabs it. Your smile is insincere in return.

Anthony has Vito escort you downstairs. That was the shortest time you’ve ever been in Anthony’s office. You rush back down to find Bucky. He has not moved from his seat at the bar. You quickly smooth down your hair and take a deep breath before you approach him.

“Hey there,” you say in an alluring voice. Bucky starts speaking before he fully turns around, “No thank you. I’m not…” he sees that it’s you. “Oh, it’s you.”  
“Yeah it’s me fella. Care for a dance?”  
Bucky takes a swig of his beer. “Uh, I guess,” he says.

You take Bucky’s hand and walk up to Danny. You can’t help but notice that he seemed uneasy. You chalk it up to his discomfort in wearing the veil and being undercover.

You enter the small room, motioning Bucky to sit on the leather couch. You made him buy 3 songs so you would have some time to talk. You turn up the volume louder than usual to help mask the sound of your voice.

You sit next to him and he shifts adding a few more inches to the space between you. You tell him about going upstairs and meeting Nicholai Zinovac. He doesn’t recognize the name. You told him that it was hard to hear but they definitely mentioned a shipment coming in.

“When?” he hastily asked.   
“I don’t know.”

Bucky huffs in frustration. You mention another name you overheard. Krasnov. Bucky says the name sounds familiar.

“That it?” he curtly questioned.

You nod yes. Bucky remains silent as the sound of the music floods the room. You wish you had more to tell him. You believe the lack of information is making him anxious. It would be a lot more satisfying to actually take down HYDRA than talk about fragments of a plan.

You reach your hand out towards his knee and he flinches. _Wow he really is on edge_. You know of one way to help take his mind off things.

“Remember how earlier I said I couldn’t be distracted from work?” He looks at you plainly. “Well, technically I’m working and you paid for a dance so...”

You stand up and start circling your hips. You pull out all of your familiar moves but perform them with more passion than you ever have before. You chose not to grind on Bucky. You may be in character now but you definitely don’t want to rush anything between you. It’s already awkward enough that he’s practically seen you naked. You would like some semblance of normalcy in your potential relationship after this.

You turn your back to Bucky as you crouch down. Your thighs are feeling the burn of being overworked. You stand up and bend forward. Bucky has a full view of your barely covered bottom, and unbeknownst to you the giant red imprint of a hand on your cheek.

He bites his tongue, fuming at the sight but does not say anything. The moment the music stops he jumps up. He rushes out of the room, forgetting to hold the door for you.

You pass through the main curtain. “Until next time,” you say. Bucky turns to look back at you straight-faced. He says nothing in response and you see him head towards the exit.

“They usually look happier when they leave. What’d ya do?” Danny asks. You assure him that this guy would be back like the rest of them. _Yeah, he’ll be back alright. As soon as I find out when this deal is happening._

You continue working for a few more hours, a mix of more stage work and private dances. When you’re finished for the night you take a quick shower, just washing your body and the stench of the club and men off of you. You can’t wait to change back into regular clothes and your comfortable sneakers. You pay out your earnings for the night, with some going to Santiago and Adam and a lot more to Anthony. You say goodnight to Charlene, Mikiko and Amanda and head out.

Your feet hurt too much to walk back home so you grab a cab. You’re excited to get back to the apartment. You’re looking forward to star gazing in Bucky’s warm arms.

You quietly open the door to the apartment. You want to burst through but you’re considerate of your neighbors since it’s very late (or is it considered very early now?)

The apartment is dark except for a small table lamp. You walk past the couch to find Bucky sleeping on his side. You watch him for a few moments, timing your own breaths to the rise and fall of his chest. You faintly whisper goodnight before going to your bedroom.

The moment your door closes Bucky opens his eyes which are seething with rage.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Bucky's visit to the strip club.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter is so dialogue heavy so I hope it's not terrible. Anyway, enjoy and thanks for reading!

You wake up feeling refreshed. You can sense that you had a nice deep sleep and you definitely needed it. You stretch your arms over your head as you yawn. You get up, looking in your mirror to wipe your eyes and fix your messy hair.

You leave the bedroom and smile as you see Bucky sitting on the couch, head down staring at the tablet.

“Good morning,” you cheerfully say, walking past him towards the kitchen.

You look around for coffee, assuming he had brewed a pot for you as he did the day before. The coffee pot was untouched. You grab a filter and the container of coffee, ready to make some for yourself.

“Do you want any?” you asked Bucky, suddenly realizing he hadn’t responded to your earlier greeting.

You look towards him. He’s still focused on the tablet. Maybe he’s lost in the book he was reading. You walk towards him and place your hand on his shoulder. He flinches at your touch.

“Hey!” you beamed. “Want some coffee?” you said, tilting your head. Bucky shook his head no, still not looking up at you.

Your smile fades away, replaced by a look of deep concern. _Did he have another nightmare?_ Maybe he did and you slept through it, unable to help him. He’s definitely on edge. You hope you can lighten his mood now that you’re awake.

“Do you want some breakfast? I’m gonna make…”  
“No,” he interrupts.

You audibly sigh. You shuffle your feet into the kitchen feeling slightly defeated. Losing your enthusiasm to cook breakfast, you opt for simply pouring a bowl of cereal.

You eat quietly, wondering when Bucky might open up. You sip your coffee slowly hoping that with each passing minute he’ll turn around and look at you. He wouldn’t even have to say anything. You just want some sort of acknowledgement that he wants your comfort. You wish you could help him, scratch your fingers through his hair like you did before.

The tension in the room was quickly consuming the air. You decide to break the ice and sit on the couch. You sit at the other end as you see him visibly tense up as you walk past him.

“Still reading?” you inquired.

He doesn’t speak and you just can’t help yourself. You have to say _something!_

“Bucky are you feeling okay?”  
“Yep,” he responds, popping the “p” sound.  
“Really? ‘Cause you don’t seem okay.”

He puts the tablet down and stares at you with cold, hardened eyes.  
“I’m fine,” he snaps. “And you? You must feel great after last night.”

You’re eyebrows furrowed in response. _Oh he has to be talking about a nightmare. You just knew it._

“Bucky I’m so sorry. I didn’t hear you. I…”  
He smirked. “You still don’t get it.”  
You pull your head back in confusion. “Wha? I guess not,” you slowly drag out the words, trying to figure out what he’s talking about.

“The club,” he said, making quotations in the air with his fingers.  
“What about it?”  
“It’s a strip club.”  
“Yeah and?” you plainly question. _Why is he bringing up the club?_  
He shakes his head in disbelief. “Disgusting.”  
“Umm, excuse me?”  
“I can’t believe you. Taking your clothes off for strangers. I saw that handprint on your ass. Who knows what else you’re doing!”

Your eyes are wide and your mouth hangs open in shock. You feel your blood boiling beneath your skin. Steam is rising up through your body as you’re about to blow.

“Stop it right there!” you fume, pointing your finger at him. “I cannot _believe_ you have the nerve to say that to me! There is nothing wrong with stripping.”  
“Yeah there is. When you said you were working at a club I did not expect that.”  
“It’s not my fault you thought you were going to some, some 1940’s jazz club!” you yelled.

Your hands are trembling. Actually, your whole body is shaking. You cannot believe this is happening. Bucky stands up and so do you.

“You’re right. I don’t know why I ever expected you to have some class,” he snubbed.  
“Are you kidding me?!” you scream.

You groan, remembering that the walls of the apartment are thin.

“I am undercover!” you grit through your teeth. “Did you forget that? None of this is real!”  
“You’re right. None of this is real. Hustling all the guys in there isn’t real. Playing on their emotions like that… it means nothing to you.”  
“It’s part of the job,” you affirmed.  
“It’s all part of the job. I get it.”

You shake your head in confusion. Bucky grabs his jacket.

“When is this job going to over?”  
“Not soon enough,” you snap.  
He smirks. “Oh look at that. You’re being truthful for once.”  
“What the hell are you talking about?”  
“I’m leaving. Can’t wait for this to be over. Then I can get back to my life and forget this ever happened.”

You watch him tuck a few things under his arm. He stands in front of the door, turns his head slightly but does not look at you.

“I’ll be there later but don’t you dare come near me unless you have information.”  
“Fine!” you shout.  
“FINE!” he replies, slamming the door shut with such force you jumped.

You stood in the apartment silent and motionless, in shock from what happened. How dare he say those things? You don’t need his approval in stripping. You’re not doing this for him. You’re not even doing this for yourself. This is your job! How does he not understand that?

You are furious yet underneath your heart is filled with sorrow. He couldn’t even look at you. In less than 24 hours everything has changed. You thought he was someone worth getting to know, and you thought he felt the same about you. You were wrong about him. You tried to choke back your sobs but stopped and let them out instead. No one was here to see you cry. No one to comfort you. No one to care.

A few minutes later you jumped at the sound of knocking at the door. You wiped away your tears. There’s a glimmer of hope in your eyes. Maybe Bucky has come to his senses.

You start to speak as you open the door, “Bucky I…”  
“Oooh, I’m not Bucky,” says the voice.

You see Tyler standing in your hallway. He’s dressed very casually, sneakers, dark grey running shorts and a black tank top that shows off a tattoo you didn’t know he had; a blue cross in front of large wings at the top of his chest.

“Ugh, it’s you,” you groan.  
“What happened Y/N? I just saw Bucky take off. He seemed angry.”  
“Never mind. Why are you here?”  
“I was just in the neighborhood, jogging,” he pauses to show you his headphones, as if that excuses his unannounced presence. “Came to check up on you.”  
“Check up on me!” you laugh. “Right, what are you doing here Tyler?”  
“Like I said, I was just in the neighborhood,” he smiles.  
“Well you can jog your way out of the neighborhood.”

You try to slam the door shut but Tyler’s foot is blocking the frame.

“Why don’t we go out? For lunch. No pressure, I mean it,” he pleads.  
You squint your eyes in suspicion.  
“Y/N your eyes are red, your nose is red. I know you were just crying so I want to cheer you up. Let’s go out to eat.”

He looked at you with kindness, a side you have never seen before. He slowly enters the apartment, taking a few steps in front of the door. Maybe you shouldn’t be _as_ mean to him as you have been in the past, but right now you would rather stay home and mope around before work.

“No thanks. I really don’t want to go anywhere.”  
“That’s fine, we’ll stay in. I know what I want to eat,” he says, biting his bottom lip. He looks you up and down with hungry eyes eager to devour you.  
“Get out! Get out now. I don’t know why I ever thought for a second that you were anything other than a scumbag.”

You grab him by the shoulder and turn him around towards the door. He starts laughing.

“Tell me something Tyler… I thought you briefed Bucky on the assignment.”  
“Yeah I did.”  
“So why didn’t he know where I was working?” you questioned.  
“Oooh did I forget to mention that to him?” he sarcastically said. “Hmmm, oh you know you’re right. I just said it was a club. Who knew that a small detail like that would be important,” he jests, flashing a mischievous smile.

You slam the door shut and lock it. You’re even angrier now than you were before. Of course you can see why Bucky was so upset. At least if he knew where you worked, well at least he wouldn’t be surprised. You assume he would still feel the same.

You sighed heavily. Here you are again, alone and sad. Sadder than before. You take a shower, staying in there long after your fingers have pruned. You don’t move any faster once you’re out of the shower. You feel dazed. You plop on your bed in your towel, letting your wet hair drip onto the sheets. Hours have gone by and all you managed to do was finally change into clothes.

You leave the house much earlier than you normally would. You slowly walk to work barely paying attention to the streets you’ve become so used to. You’re on auto pilot as you trudge through the city. As you near the club you stop in a deli for a something quick. You haven’t eaten since breakfast so you grab a protein bar.

You head to the side door. Joseph welcomes you in and mumbles something about your looks that you thankfully can’t hear. You head straight to the dressing room, giving a meek hello to whoever may be in there. You didn’t really pay attention if you were alone or not.

You sat in front of the mirror hoping for a miracle with your now frizzy hair. As you start your makeup a few girls made their loud presence known. Mikiko and Charlene saw your face and knew something was wrong.

They pressured you for information but if you tried to talk tears filled your eyes. Amanda came in with a drink for you. For once, you did not turn away the alcohol. You felt the burn of the smooth liquid warm your body.

By the time you had finished your makeup you told the girls what happened. Well, you told them what you could. You explained that you were sort of introduced to this guy and you were getting along really well until he found out where you worked. They asked if the person who introduced you mentioned it. You explained to them that Tyler, whose name you changed for your story, is a total douche and did not.

“If he likes you he’ll get over it,” Mikiko said.  
“Yeah just give him some time,” Amanda chimed in.  
“I don’t think that’s going to work. He’s old fashioned. Like _really_ old fashioned,” you explained.  
“Talk to him. It will work out however it’s meant to,” Charlene said with more reasoning.

It was almost 1am when you spotted Bucky in disguise sitting at the bar. You wondered if he had gone back to the apartment at all. You hadn’t heard anything new tonight and so you stayed away from him. You didn’t even go near the bar. You were avoiding him as much as you could. It was bad enough that your fight was replaying in your head throughout the night. You tried not to let it affect you at work but clearly it did.

Before you left Vito brought you up to see Anthony. He was alone in his office but you can see he’s been busy. You spot some paperwork on his desk and try to take in as much as you can without him noticing.

“Everything okay Val?”  
You nod at first, and then verbally say yes, remembering how he hates when people don’t speak up.  
“You didn’t make a lot tonight.”  
“I…yeah… I wasn’t feeling well. Woman stuff,” you said hoping he backs down, even though your excuse made you cringe.  
He purses his lips, “Don’t let it happen again.”

You walk home even slower than usual. Your stomach is rumbling. You stop into the deli and grab a sandwich and some snacks. When you get back to the apartment you breathe deeply before walking in. You’re quiet as you enter the apartment. You hope the hardwood floors will not creak too loudly as you head straight to your bedroom.

You push your door open but turn around when you hear Bucky. He is snoring. It’s soft and sounds pretty cute though you hate to admit it. He’s lying on his back, metal arm hanging down with his fingertips grazing the floor. You stare at him for a few more seconds but retreat to your bedroom.

You eat your food and watch Netflix with your headphones on for as long as you can keep your eyes open. When you feel like you can’t stay awake any longer you crawl under the blankets and pass out.

You wake up around midday but roll over and go back to sleep. You want to spend as little time awake in this apartment with Bucky. You wake up a few more times but force your eyes shut. It’s almost 4pm now and you have to get up. Having felt the need to use the bathroom a while ago you knew you couldn’t push it off any longer. It’s time to start the day.

You head straight into the bathroom not caring to notice where Bucky was. You wash your face before you leave, examining the deep bags under your swollen eyes.

Heading straight to the kitchen you open the fridge. You stare aimlessly at the shelves. You don’t want to eat but you should. You don’t want to make anything and nothing really catches your eye so you just close the door.

You grab a package of cookies and toss them on the counter. You look up to find Bucky staring at you with a blank face. You fight back the urge to make a snobby remark. Part of you wanted to tell him about Tyler’s visit but he’s made it clear that he is only here for the mission and so that’s what you’ll talk about.

“Martucci’s desk,” you start. He cocks his head as you continue.  
“I saw photos of assault rifles, modified. The magazine looked different. It was cylindrical.”

Bucky asked if it was green and you nodded your head. He takes a deep breath and takes a few steps closer you.

“After Schmidt, HYDRA continued to work with unstable elements. They wanted to replicate the power of the Tesseract,” Bucky stated.  
“Krasnov, that name. I remember it. He’s a scientist. Worked with the cryo team,” he said.

His face could not hide the sad expression when he spoke. You take out a few cookies and push the box towards Bucky as a peace offering but he doesn’t take any.

“I saw his name again. He must be the contact.”  
“Any idea when or where the deal is going down?” he asked.  
“Definitely tomorrow, but I don’t know where. I doubt they’ll do this at the club. Saturday’s are the busiest. It’s too risky.”  
“Wouldn’t that make for better cover?”  
“Anthony wouldn’t jeopardize his business. He likes his money too much,” you said, covering you mouth slightly as you eat the cookie.

For a moment you’re reminded of the first time you saw Bucky, your mouth overstuffed with cereal. You sigh at the bittersweet memory, wishing things were different.

“Nicholai would know, if I can just get him to tell me. I-I can try somehow,” you exhaled in frustration. “I know he would jump at the chance to sleep with me but that’s not going to happen.”  
“You sure about that?” he sneers.

Your hand took action before your brain caught up to process what happened. In an instant you had smacked Bucky across the face. He held his cheek feeling the sting of your hand as he stared you down with enraged eyes. He towered over you but you stood firmly, unwavering despite thoughts in the back of your mind that he could retaliate. _But would he?_

You glared at him, unblinking as your nostrils flared with every huff of your breath. You felt the back of your eyes stinging with tears that were desperate to come out but you clenched your fists, willing your body to hold them back.

Bucky turned around and left the apartment without speaking. He shut the door softly, not slamming it like you expected. When you were sure he was gone you sank to the floor and burst into tears.

You took a few deep breaths and felt the pain of his words weigh on your heart. You wiped your eyes and reluctantly got ready for work.

You took a cab to the club. You didn’t want to walk. You didn’t want to clear your head tonight. You just wanted to get in and get out. You’re so close to leaving this place behind. You need to find out information. You shudder in disgust as the cab pulls up to the club. You hate this place. You hate this job. You hate SHIELD and you hate Bucky.

You brush past Joseph, ignoring the salutations of Adam, Santiago and the other employees. Gabriela is changing when you burst into the dressing room. She sees your scowl and tries to comfort you. You lie and tell her you’re fine. She leaves the room and returns with her arms balancing a few drinks. She places a glass filled with amber liquid on the table and hands you a shot glass. She clinks her shot glass with yours as you swallow the drink without hesitation.

You thank her for the drinks. In the back of your mind you know that you shouldn’t be drinking at work but the buzz of the alcohol dissolves your cares. You grab the glass and drink slowly, feeling the whiskey slide down your tongue leaving a warm trail behind.

You glue on hot pink heart pasties and change into your outfit, a light pink bra and panty set with hot pink ruffles and two ribbons that sat on your hip bones. You sit silently blocking out the noise of the locker room as you try to clear your buzzed mind and prepare for the night.

* * *

It’s 2am now and you’re standing in front of your apartment. You hesitate to enter wondering if Bucky is in and if he’s awake. You shut your eyes tightly and wipe away the tears that have escaped the corners of your eyes. You swallow deeply before opening the door.

You softly shut the door and freeze. You can hear him. You quickly pull a few strands your hair down to cover part of your face. You’re still for a few moments before you realize he is asleep. You walk past him and go to your room. You slowly change into your tank top and shorts, zipping up a hoodie as well. It was warm night but you needed the security you felt it gave. You sit on the bed zoning out as you stare at the zipper.

You are pulled out of your daze by the sounds of grunting. It’s Bucky and you know he’s having a nightmare. You stay in your room. You should really go to sleep but you’re too depressed to move. You jump at the sound of something crashing to the floor and Bucky becoming much louder.

You nervously open the door and see Bucky on the couch. His eyes are shut tight; his hands balled into fists and thrashing around violently. You see a shattered glass on the floor. The coffee table is broken, one leg almost fully ripped off.

Bucky looks like he is in pain. Despite everything that happened you hate seeing him like this. Against your better judgment you gingerly walk closer to the couch. Hovering above him you say his name.

“Bucky. Bucky wake up. Bucky!”

You touch his shoulder gently and he jumps, aggressively knocking your hand off.

“Get off me! Don’t touch me!” he yells.

He is panting wildly trying to comprehend the mess in front of him.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, I…” you cried, turning away from him and quickly walking to your room shutting the door behind you. Bucky looked at you before you left, his eyes widened in horror.

He followed you to the bedroom, knocking softly on the door, asking to come in. He opened it gently even though you did not respond. He sees you sitting on the bed crying with your head slumped down. He kneels in front of you.

“Y/N? Y/N please I,” he starts. You look at him with tear filled eyes. He stares back at a red abrasion on your cheek. “Please tell me, did I do that?” his shaky voice asks.

You start crying even more. Bucky stands up, pressing the heel of his hands into his eyes and starts apologizing. “Shit! Shit Y/N I’m _so_ sorry. I never meant to,” he desperately says, pacing in front of you.  
“You didn’t,” you sob.

He looks at you in relief and quickly changes his expression to concern asking what happened. You break down, crying so hard that you feel it in the pit of your stomach. Bucky sits next to you and cautiously places his hand behind your back and rubs it in solace. You turn towards him and cry on his shoulder. He wraps his arms around you, keeping you close to his body.

“It’s gonna be okay. I’m here,” he gently whispers to you, while scolding himself internally for having not been there for you.

You wipe your eyes and sniffle a few times. You explain what happened. You told him you were working and everything was mostly the same, except you had a drink. You paused to look for disapproval in his eyes but you found none.

Continuing, you told him that it took the edge off since you had been acting noticeably different the day before. You were in a private room with Drew, one of your regulars since you started. You explained that usually Drew is very anxious and polite but tonight he was a bit brazen. He let his hands roam on your body, caressing the ruffles that covered your ass. Normally you would reprimand a client for touching you but you went with it tonight, blaming the drink for your poor choice.

You took a deep breath before continuing, still fearing Bucky’s judgment. You told him that you straddled Drew and found your hands roaming a bit on his chest. You choked back your tears. His t-shirt had moved around in the process exposing a tattoo of a blue cross in front of large wings. You told him that Tyler has the same tattoo, and you were absolutely certain considering he paid you a visit the day before.

Bucky looked stunned. You told him that you flipped out. You felt so violated. After all these months he lied to you, took advantage of you and jeopardized your safety and the mission. Tyler denied it, feigning innocence that his name was “Drew.” You pushed him into the wall and yelled at him. Danny heard the commotion and that’s when Tyler said you attacked him.

Vito brought you up to Anthony. He was pissed. You couldn’t give him the truth. He smelled the alcohol on your breath and you had to go along with that reasoning instead.

_“You know what happened to Emily when she acted up,” he said. “I like you a lot Val. You’re one of my best girls but lately you’ve been disappointing me and I can’t have that.”_

Anthony hit you. He backhanded you a few times, his large platinum and onyx ring clawing at your skin each time it made contact. Of all things you’ve had to do while being undercover this was the worst. Letting him assault you without fighting back was the hardest thing you could do. With each rough smack you held on to the idea that you were doing this to save lives, to prevent whatever destruction Anthony and his organization had in mind with those weapons; and so you took each hit and hoped it would end.

When he was finished you had sunk to the floor. You carefully touched your right cheek. Droplets of blood painted your fingertips.

_“I didn’t like that but it had to be done. Go home and clean yourself up. I need you here tomorrow and I need you looking good.”_

Your reddened face was puzzled. You surely thought he was firing you, and your mind was scrambling to figure out how to finish your mission.

_“I told you Val I like you a lot. You’ve made me a lot of money. Tomorrow you’re going to make even more. Nicholai wants you, and for a price he’s gonna have you.”_

Anthony grabbed you by the top of your arm and forced you onto your feet.

_“I own you. I own all the girls here. You know who I am and you know what I can do so don’t think about doing anything stupid,” he threatened._

When you finished your story you saw that Bucky’s eyes were closed and he was shaking his head in disbelief.

“Y/N I, I don’t know what to say.  I’m so sorry.”  
“You didn’t do anything,” you said.  
“You’re right I didn’t do anything. I wasn’t there for you.”

You say nothing, instead continuing to wipe the tears that keep falling. Your hand brushes against your sensitive cheek and you wince.

Bucky leaves the room and comes back with an ice pack wrapped in a towel. He gestures asking if he can put it on you and you nod. You hiss slightly as the material rubs against your tender skin. You hold the ice pack in place as he exits the room once more, this time returning with a small first aid kit.

“The ice should help with the swelling, then we’ll get to this,” he said.

You sighed, staring off in the distance, looking at the shadow the lamp made on the wall.

“I acted like an idiot,” Bucky said breaking the silence. “I like you… a lot and when I saw you in the club I got jealous. I watched how you flirted with the customers, how easy it was to make them feel special. I thought you were doing the same to me ‘cause… I don’t see how someone could like me,” he confessed.

His head is hanging low, but you can see his saddened features through the curtain of his hair that covers his face.  
   
“The world still sees me as a monster, half the team is scared I’m gonna snap at any moment. It doesn’t make getting close to someone easy. But I was wrong and I was stupid. I shouldn’t have said what I said. I’m truly sorry.”

You heard the sorrow in his voice. Culture shock aside he was definitely wrong in how he acted and you’re happy he recognizes that. You set the ice pack aside and took Bucky’s hands into yours. He looked up at you.

“Apology accepted,” you assured him, giving a squeeze to his hands.

He opened the first aid kit and began to coat your abrasion with antibiotic cream. You took off your hoodie, the heat of the apartment finally catching up to you. Bucky stared at the different bandage options, biting his lip as he tried to decide which size would best cover the wound. You giggled watching him struggle with his options. He smiled back at you, his grin a happy beam of light you were more than willing to bathe in.

He found a square large enough to cover your abrasion. Bucky leaned in close to you, pushing your hair behind your ears before he delicately placed it on your skin. You were inches away from each other. You felt his lips place a chaste kiss on your forehead. He sat next to you and intertwined his fingers with yours.

“What are we going to do about Tyler? Did you call Director Hill?”  
“No, and I’m not going to.”

Bucky shook his head.

“I’m not any closer to finding out where this deal is happening. We know it’s tomorrow but we don’t know where. I can’t distract SHIELD. This is too important,” you said.  
“I’m not going to let him get away with what he did.”  
“Please Bucky let it go, for now. We need to call SHIELD and strategize for tomorrow.”  
“I couldn’t protect you tonight but I swear Y/N, I _swear_ I will not let Nicholai touch you.”

You exhaled, not knowing how to respond. You believe he means that but you know that isn’t a promise he can keep. You’re tired though and you don’t want to fight over this. Bucky sees you yawn and gets up from the bed.

“Goodnight Y/N,” he says, heading towards the door.  
“Wait!” you plead.

He turns around.

“The bed is big… you can stay here,” you timidly say.  
“Do you want me to stay here?” he asks, staring deeply into your eyes.  
“Yes,” you say with a breathy voice.

Bucky gets into the bed, lying on his back. You turn towards him resting your head and arm on his chest. He wraps his flesh arm around your side. The comfort of his embrace relaxes you to nuzzle into him a little more. You shut your eyes, letting the echo of his heartbeat relax you. He caresses your hair with his metal arm. The gently sound of his whirring appendage lulls you into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to Disney in 2 weeks so I will try to write as much as I can prior to that but most likely the next chapter will be posted after I get back.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The deal with HYDRA is going down tonight. Will you and Bucky be able to stop them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter took forever! I'm going to try to get the last part out faster. As always, thank you for reading. :)

The warm glow of sunlight peering in from the window kissed your face. You slowly opened your eyes, squinting as you adjusted to the light and the figure beside you. You had hardly moved from the position you fell asleep in. Bucky’s arm was still tucked around you. You watched him sleep, taking in his features from your close vantage point. The scruff on his face had gotten a little thicker since the day he arrived but it still did not hide his sharp jaw line. All of the muscles in his face were relaxed, enjoying peaceful rest. You gently laid your head back on his chest and shut your eyes. You don’t want to think about anything else, you just want the same peace he seems to have.

Bucky woke up a few minutes later. You felt him take in a deep breath and so you shifted your head to face him. His bright smile greeted you and you returned the gesture instantly. You wouldn’t have been able to stop yourself even if you tried.

“Good morning beautiful,” he said as he stretched out the arm that was around you. “How are you feeling?”

Your smile had reminded you of the slight ache on your cheek and you responded accordingly. Bucky assures you that everything is going to be okay. You push yourself up, resting your weight on your elbow and lean over him. His reassuring face gave you the courage to believe him (and in yourself).

A few strands of your hair fell towards your face. Your heartbeat quickens as he reaches his metal hand up to gently tuck your hair behind your ears. You let go of the breath you didn’t realize you were holding as you stare into his eyes. His pupils were blown wide, the dark center overpowering the pale blue ring. He laced his fingers through the back of your hair as he slowly and gently brought your face down towards his. He captured your lips in a slow and sensual kiss, making sure you both savor every blissful moment.

Wrapping his other arm around the small of your back he pulls your body in closer to his solid frame, arching his hips to meet yours. His tongue slips past your lips meeting with your own. You brace yourself on his chest as you deepen the kiss and begin to feel the wet heat pooling between your legs. His arms roam up and down your sides leaving goosebumps in their wake. Bucky grazes his nose down your neck and collarbone before finding your sweet spot. He feverishly attacks it with open mouth kisses and his talented tongue swirls on your skin. You moan and buck your hips desperate for friction. You feel his growing erection press against your warm core.

He rubs the fingertips of his metal hand up and down your thigh, pushing the fabric of your shorts up with every stroke. He palms your ass cheek and squeezes it firmly making you gasp. Bucky works his lips back up towards yours, moaning your name after every kiss.

Hearing him moan your name with his incredibly sexy voice should excite you. Instead it brings you back to your fight. “ _Disgusting_ ,” you hear his voice in your head. _“I don’t know why I ever expected you to have some class.”_

You pull away instantly. His words, his painful words still resonated in your mind and you had to stop. You resolved your issue with Bucky. You understood the reasoning behind his words. He was jealous, hurt and self-conscious and you even forgave him, but in this moment it didn’t matter. In this moment you believed his words and so you pushed yourself off of him.

Bucky looks at you with concern and asks if you want to stop. You stumble a bit on your words before telling him that you can’t do this, and you need to call SHIELD to strategize for tonight. You apologize even though you know you don’t have to. He agrees with you but you can tell he isn’t fully satisfied by your answer. You’re learning that he is more perceptive than you gave him credit for but thankfully he does not push for more. You get up from the bed, throw on your hoodie and head to the kitchen. Bucky stays in bed a few minutes longer, eyes shut tight and taking deep breathes before he is meets you in the kitchen.

You’re mindlessly staring at your phone as you wait for the coffee. Bucky takes out the cereal box and two bowls, nudging one in your direction. You have too much on your mind and you don’t want to eat but you know you should. Plus with the way Bucky is looking at you, his head tilted with large puppy eyes and a sweet smirk, you would never want to disappoint that face. You happily take the bowl he has filled up for you.

After eating, and more important coffee, you feel somewhat prepared to handle this phone call. You are still sitting at the kitchen table with Bucky by your side. You call SHIELD. After speaking to a few of your colleagues you wait for Director Hill and a few agents to be conferenced in. Thankfully Tyler was not one of them. You explain that the deal going down between HYDRA and the Martucci family is happening tonight and with regret laced in your voice, you tell them you don’t know the location. You can confirm Viktor Krasnov is still the contact.

Director Hill interrupts with discouraging news. There is no information on Krasnov. Even when HYDRA was exposed a few years ago there was nothing on him. She asks if that could be an alias. Bucky chimes in to the conversation relaying the information he previously told you. Krasnov is real but he seems to be as elusive as The Winter Soldier was. You sigh heavily but it doesn’t relieve any of the tension you had been building up inside. You know his missing presence in HYDRA’s history only confirms the threat he poses.

You told Hill about Nicholai coming to the club tonight. She urged you to do everything possible to get information from him. The sound of Bucky huffing caused you to look up at him. He was visibly upset by her directive. You offer your hand to his and his features soften under your touch. You have your orders, get the information out of Nicholai. In the meantime, SHIELD is going to monitor as many modes of transportation in the city that they can. Verify all trucks coming in, search all of the airports and cargo docks. Their eyes will be everywhere but without a real lead you know this might not end well.

You head into the shower, hoping the hot steam will help clear your head. You’ve pushed yourself so much on this assignment and you’re wrestling with how much further you might have to go. By the end of your shower you had made up your mind. All bureaus have agents that work undercover. Sometimes they have to put their duty before their morals, especially if the end result meant saving lives. You knew the risks and possibilities when you signed up for this and so you have to accept whatever happens.

You head to your bedroom to change, passing Bucky on the couch with his head down focused on his phone.

 

To: Sharon Carter

>> Hey, I need a favor…

 

It takes a while for you to leave your bedroom. You subconsciously thought that if you moved at a snail’s pace that time would do the same. You wish it would. Your stomach is twisted at the decision you had come to. You can’t back out but if you had any leads on Krasnov that could help.

You leave your bedroom and slump on the couch next to Bucky.

“If we don’t stop this deal tonight a lot of people are going to get hurt… and everything I’ve had to do will have been for nothing,” you cried.

Bucky wraps his arm around you. You swing your legs up onto the couch and cuddle closer to Bucky. You silently shed a few tears leaving a small wet spot on his shirt. Bucky pulls you in closer to comfort you. You curve your lips up into a faint smile but it drops quickly.

“Bucky, you’re the only one who has seen Krasnov. What do you remember?”

He pauses before speaking. “He was at the HYDRA base in Siberia. Part of the team to get me out of cryo,” he said, with a tremble in his voice.

You plead for him to tell you more. You know this isn’t easy for him but you need something.

“The details are in fragments but I remember the feelings mostly,” he started. You look up at him but his eyes are focused forward, staring at the black reflection of you both through the TV screen. “Early on when they would wake me up,” he sighs, “it was like… like everything was in slow motion. But in Siberia it happened fast, too fast,” he snapped.

He looks down at you. His face looks sad and pained. “ _That_ was Krasnov. He came up with some advanced solution to warm my body after cryo. It worked but I was weak.”

“What happened after Siberia? Where did he go?”

Bucky apologizes for not knowing the answer. You desperately need more information but don’t want to push Bucky too far. You close your eyes. While your body seemed relaxed your mind is working racing. You try to process all of the facts you know about Krasnov. He’s a scientist. He works with chemicals. He’s cruel, obviously. Bucky’s story conveyed that to you. Bucky meant nothing to Krasnov, he was just another weapon. Despite HYDRA’s dependence on their precious “asset” they still let Krasnov experiment with him. If his solution caused Bucky, serum and all, to be affected so much and HYDRA still allowed it you worry about what else he could do. Those modified rifles looked dangerous and volatile. You still need more. None of this tells you where this guy could be.

“What else can you tell me about him? What does he look like?”

“He was short, um, bad teeth.”

Well that narrows it down, you sarcastically think. You sigh in frustration. Bucky apologizes again. You sit up and pull him in for a hug. You tell him he has no reason to apologize. You linger in the hug for a little too long though Bucky shows no sign of letting go. You inhale his scent, the scent you had gotten used to over the last few days. Euphoric waves relax you as you try to hold on to this moment forever.

“Mmmm you smell nice.” You let the words slip past your mouth.

“Smell!” he shouts. “Krasnov always smelled… like, ughh what was it… salty! Like the sea!”

You squeeze Bucky tighter. This is the best lead you could hope for. HYDRA had ships and subs. If Krasnov always smelled like the sea then he had to be travel that way. You called SHIELD to let them know of your good suspicion. The city had a few docks on both sides of town. Agents were going to be stationed at both. You sigh in relief. This guess is better than nothing but it doesn’t mean your job is done.

“Thank you,” you say, grabbing his hand. “This is a great start.”

“Don’t do it,” he replies.

You shake your head in confusion.

“I know what you’re thinking about Y/N, don’t do it. We have a lead.”

“It’s not enough Bucky. We’re not even sure. It’s just a hunch.”

“Then let me help you. I’ll come tonight. I’ll pay to go back there so I can be closer to you and listen for trouble before… before anything happens.”

“Bucky you know you can’t. SHIELD brought you on for a reason. You’re the link to HYDRA and only you know what Krasnov looks like. They need you in the field.”

“I don’t want to go.”

“I know,” you say, bringing your hand up to caress his cheek. He leans into your touch. “But it’s not your call to make,” you woefully continue.

You embrace each other in a firm but affectionate hug. Your hold lingers. Neither one of you wants to let go. You want to stay like this forever. You feel warm and safe in his arms. It feels right to be with him. Despite everything that has happened in the last few days, the ups and downs, you want to move forward. You want to be with him.

Bucky feels the same. He doesn’t want to let you go. He didn’t plan on falling for you but he did. He didn’t plan on acting like an ass but he did and he regrets it. He wants to skip this evening. He wants to open his eyes and have it be tomorrow where the job is done and you’re safe.

You turned your head to check the time. It was still a little too early for you to start getting ready but you knew Bucky had to leave earlier than you. You offer to make dinner but Bucky insists on helping. He wants to cherish every moment you spend together before you have to part ways. You take out the chicken breasts, eggs and breadcrumbs while Bucky boils a pot of water for the pasta he grabbed. You work in tandem. You bread the chicken and Bucky places them in the frying pan. You stir the pasta while he turns the cutlets over. Bucky makes jokes about your slimy egg and breadcrumb covered hands and you threaten to spill the remains over his head. The air is filled with your combined laughter. Your cheeks hurt from smiling so much and you wish you could bottle this moment and save it forever.

You catch Bucky staring at you on several occasions during dinner. Every time you caught him he would blush and smile. Your conversation is light. He talks about movies and music he’s come to enjoy. He asks about what you’re most looking forward to after this is over. You respond with seeing your family. Your mom has been on edge from day one. Minimal contact from you hasn’t helped ease her nerves. Plus you’re pretty sure your cousin had another baby. You tell him you’re looking forward to relaxing.

You reach your hands across the table to grab his. “I’d like to see more of you too, um, if you still wanted,” you sheepishly say.

He laces his fingers with yours and nods his head, “Yes. Of course I still do.”

After doing the dishes together your tranquil time together has come to an end. Bucky grabs a backpack and fills it with some gear. You should be doing your makeup but you preferred to watch him. When he was ready to leave he pulled you in for a hug. You close your eyes not wanting this to end.

“Y/N be safe. I’m coming for you,” he says. He leans down and hesitates to kiss you on the lips, briefly thinking back to this morning, but he kisses you anyway. It was a slow and soft kiss and there was no denying the passion you had for each other.

After Bucky leaves you fix your hair and quickly do your makeup. You change the bandage on your cheek, cutting it down so it isn’t as noticeable. Leaving earlier than you ever have in the past you walk to the club slowly. You listened to your favorite calming sounds as you prepared yourself for the night. Whatever happens you’ll make it through. You repeat that to yourself in the hope that you will believe the mantra.

* * *

The minute you arrive at the club Vito informs you that Anthony wants to see you. You head upstairs to his office. He greets you without acknowledging the bandage on your cheek, the result of his hands on you. He smiles handing you a pile of clothing and a pair of shoes, a “special request” from Nicholai he said. He tosses them to you as he walks towards the bar behind you. He pours himself a drink as he discusses your job tonight, make Nicholai happy.

You spot his phone unattended on the desk. He is thankfully distracted and so you quickly grab his phone and shove it in between the fabric of the clothes. Anthony tells you to come back upstairs once you’ve finished getting ready. Your heart is racing but you hope your nerves don’t give you away. You smile and head to the locker room. Charlene unexpectedly threw her arms around you causing Anthony’s phone to almost slip out of your grasp.

“I did it!” she exclaims. “I passed! Dr. Lewis is here for her patients!”

You carefully put down the clothes and hugged her back. “Charlene I’m so happy for you. I knew you could do it!”

She continues to celebrate as and the other girls get dressed. You snuck Anthony’s phone out and went to the bathroom to go through it. You read through his texts and emails. It wasn’t easy to find. When you found the information you needed it felt like the weight of the world was lifted from your shoulders. You texted Director Hill, SHIELD and Bucky with the location. East docks, Pier 6. Now SHIELD can reroute all of the agents to the proper location. You trust that everyone can take it from here. Now that you found the information you don’t need to be here.

You pop out of the bathroom and run into what feels like a brick wall. Vito is standing in front of you. You stumble backwards, holding Anthony’s phone behind your back as you slip it into your back pocket.

“You’re not dressed yet?” he asks.

“No I just got down here,” you snap.

“Well get going Val, Anthony wants to see you before Nicholai shows up,” he said gesturing you to hurry up.

Vito leaves and you let out a huge breath. Getting out is not going to be easy. You change into the outfit you were given, an ice blue pleated skirt with a small matching thong, a tie-front crop top with rhinestone trimmed sleeves that barely covers a rhinestone bra, sparkly silver thigh high fishnets and silver Mary Janes. At least the shoes were a reasonable height; easier to run in, you thought.

You touch up your makeup trying to stall and think of ways to get out. You cut up a glitter pasty into a smaller heart, gluing it on to cover your bandaid. You grab your bag, double checking that your phone and gun are in it, and you head out of the locker room.

You hope to make it to the side door, tell Joseph that Anthony lost his phone and needs everyone upstairs and then get out of there as fast as possible. You make it past Vito who seems occupied watching Mikiko dance. You pass by your regular patrons sitting at the bar, each of them stopping you to tell you how sexy you look. Their loud enthusiasm caused Vito to turn around and spot you.

He asked you what you were doing and you quickly lied saying you didn’t want your regulars to feel left out tonight. He pulls your arm towards the staircase but you protest. You claim you want to set up the room first, that you have some special things in your bag for Nicholai (if he only knew). Vito huffs in frustration but leads you towards Danny.

You walk through the curtain past Danny, past the room you were supposed to go to in search of an exit. You found none. You go into the large room. It has the same rosey walls as the smaller rooms, same white leather couch but on the opposite wall was a full sized bed covered in black satin sheets flanked by two small side tables.

You open one drawer to find condoms, lube, handcuffs, a whip, and a ball gag? Oh hell no. You place your gun under the bed. You check your phone for updates from anyone before placing it in the drawer. You hide Anthony’s phone in your bra and you begrudgingly head upstairs.

You present yourself to Anthony who looks at you up and down and smirks.

“Tonight is a good night,” he boasts. He turns around briefly and you slip his phone back on his desk under some papers.

“Fix you a drink?” you ask, trying to distract him in case he heard the sound of papers rustling.

He nods and you head to the bar. Nicholai walks in a few minutes later and you can’t hide your displeasure. You choke on the scent of his cologne. Anthony tells you to make Nicholai a drink. You make something extra strong and curse yourself that you didn’t have anything you could slip into the drink. You hand him the drink and he pulls you down into his lap. Nicholai throws Anthony a small bag. He peaks his head in and smiles.

He nods towards Nicholai and both men get up. Nicholai grabs you by the arm but before he leads you downstairs Anthony whispers in your ear, “Don’t disappoint me.”

Danny pulls back the curtain allowing you and Nicholai to walk past him. You open the door and hope that Vito hadn’t come in afterwards and snooped around. Nicholai goes to kiss you and you pull away.

“Good. I like a challenge,” he says, taking a sip of his drink. “Dance for me.”

You dance slowly, drawing out every move while you try to buy yourself time for a plan. They only way out is the side or front door, and in either case you would have to get past large security guards. That’s if you make it past Danny and Vito first.

Nicholai motions for you to give him a lap dance. You do so with zero enthusiasm. You back off when you feel his erection through his jeans. He fists the back your hair in a tight ball with one hand and squeezes your face with the other, pulling you in for a sloppy wet kiss. Disgusted, you try to fuse your lips shut.

He unbuckles his belt and slides his pants down. He grabs your hand and forces you to touch his erection. He asks you if you like that. Your head is turned, eyes shut tight as you hold back tears. He pushes you off of him, stepping out of his pants and walks towards the side table. He started to go for the table with your phone in it but you stopped him. He opened the other drawer and his eyes lit up. He pulled out the handcuffs and walked towards you.

He tells you to take off his shirt. You slowly unbutton it revealing a hairy distended belly. He pulls at the knot of your top and it comes undone. He forcefully grabs your arms and handcuffs them in front of you. You wince as he secures them tightly, the metal digging into your wrists. Nicholai throws you onto the bed. He looks at you like a man starved and he wants to devour you. He climbs on top of the bed towards you; you kick your legs at him. You managed to kick him in the balls. He holds his crotch but manages to still climb on top of you. You bring your arms up to try and punch him but he holds them over your head. You struggle but can’t free yourself.

You feel him reach under your skirt, tugging on the thong to come off. You’re squirming and screaming, still trying to loosen your arms. You’re able to break free of his hold and you slam your fists down onto his head. He curses back at you and starts to choke you.

“I’ll fuck you dead or alive bitch!”

You struggle to breathe trying desperately to get him to release his hold on your throat. You pretend to be unconscious in the hope that he stops. Your plan worked. Nicholai runs his hands through his hair and catches his breath. He kneels on the edge of the bed hooking his fingers in the waistband of his boxers to pull them down. In that moment you brought your knees to your chest and kicked him with all your strength. He flew backwards onto the floor. You wiggled to your side and got off the bed, dropping to the floor quickly to get your gun from under the bed.

Nicholai grabs your legs and pulls you back before you can get the gun. He rummages through his pants and pulls out a knife. You wiggle forward towards the bed. You cry out as you feel a stinging sensation on the back of your thigh. You feel the blood seep in between the netted fabric of your stockings and your skin.

Nicholai climbs on top of you. You groan under the weight of his heavy body. You still struggle to move. Anthony bursts into the room fuming mad. He orders Nicholai to get up.

“What happened Nicholai? You guaranteed me safe delivery.”

“The fuck are you talking about?” Nicholai said catching his breath.

“SHIELD took Krasnov. They took the shipment. They took my guns!” he screamed. “I don’t like liars Nicholai. Liars have to pay.”

Anthony looks over and sees you on the floor. He balls his hands into a tight fist when he sees the crimson stain down your leg.

“And this is how you treat my girl?” he remarked.

The men were distracted during the argument which allowed you to reach under the bed for the gun. You stand up, using the side table for balance and point the gun towards the men.

“I am _not_ your girl. Both of you, on your knees now!”

Anthony takes a step towards you, “who the fuck do you think you are?”

You cock the gun showing him that you mean business. In that moment the sound of gunshots and screams can be heard throughout the club. Anthony bolts out of the room but Nicholai charges towards you with his knife. You fire the gun, shooting him in the shoulder. He screams but it does not stop him from collapsing on top of you. The force of his body causes you to drop your gun and you hit the back of your head on the side table before landing on the floor.

You groan and struggle to get him off of you. You catch the crazed look in his eyes before he brings his fist down to your cheek. He gets off of you but grabs a handful of your hair and forces you up. He pushes your body onto the bed. He growls as he presses his hand to his shoulder. He’s bleeding but does not care. He gets on the bed, turning you onto your side. He lifts up your skirt and grabs the material of your thong

Suddenly a gunshot is heard. Nicholai’s lifeless body collapses beside you. You turn around and your face relaxes as you set your gaze upon Bucky. He pulls you off the bed.

“Y/N are you hurt? Did he hurt you?”

You reply telling him you’re alright. He sees your hands are bound. Using his metal hand he breaks the links between the cuffs. He examines the tight metal around your wrist. He squeezes his metal digit in between the cuff and your skin. It really hurts and you know you’re going to bruise from the pinching but he’s able to break it off of you. You drape your arms over him for a quick hug.

Picking up your crop top from the floor, you have Bucky tear the fabric and tie it around your thigh. You put on Nicholai’s shirt. It’s big on you and his lingering scent makes you nauseous but it’s your only option since you’d rather not be running around in a bra. You grab your gun and tell Bucky to follow you upstairs.

You make your way through the club. Bucky blocks your body from gunfire with his own. You keep your gaze focused on any potential threats ahead of you. You both safely make it to the staircase. Quietly creeping up the stairs you see Anthony hunched down pulling money out of a safe. Vito stands in front of him.

The creaking of the top step gave you away and Vito looks up at you. Vito charges like a bull towards Bucky. Anthony spots you and quickly draws his gun. You duck behind the bar and clench your burning arm. The bullet grazed you. The thumb sized wound was bleeding profusely. The sound of Bucky and Vito still fighting drew your mind away from your pain.

Anthony was still firing. His footsteps were getting closer. You noticed he was focusing his shooting towards the center of the bar. You crawled towards the end of the bar. Taking a chance that he would be focused on the middle you slowly snuck around to the corner of the bar. You aimed your gun and quickly shot him in his foot. Anthony screamed and fell to the ground, dropping his gun in the process. You got up and kicked it away. You grabbed a bottle of liquor and smashed it over his head knocking him out.

Bucky got up having taken down Vito. He walks towards you. You’re both startled by the stampede of people that come up the stairs. Luckily it was SHIELD. You try to slow your breathing as you come off your adrenaline high. You lean on Anthony’s desk because you feel slightly dizzy. You watch as your fellow SHIELD agents handcuff Anthony & Vito and take them downstairs.

Bucky wraps his arms around you in a hug. His hand cradled your head and you winced. He backed off and saw fresh blood on his hands. He looked at you with concern as he and saw the sweat glistening on your face. He grabbed your hand which felt clammy.

“Y/N?”

You heard him call your name but nothing else. Your ears were clogged. You stand up from the desk but your vision gets spotty.

“Buck…”

Bucky catches your body in his arms and gently lays you down before calling for help.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Bucky deal with the aftermath of what happened at the club

The sound of beeping was a constant throughout your ears. Eventually you slowly opened your heavy eyelids. You squinted at the sunlight hitting your eyes. It took you a few moments to for your vision to adjust as you took in your surroundings. Off white walls, fluorescent lighting and the ubiquitous scent of disinfectant. There is no doubt you were in a hospital.

You looked down to find Bucky hunched over from his chair leaning on your bed. He was still wearing most of his gear, minus his weapons and a leather jacket which you saw was thrown on the windowsill. His head was resting in the crease of his right arm, his metal hand securely wrapped around your own. Your lips curved up into a smile. You squeeze his hand and the motion stirs him awake.

“Good morning beautiful,” you said with a scratchy voice.

“That’s my line,” he replied with a beaming smile.

Bucky got up from his chair and placed a chaste kiss on your forehead. He paused to lovingly gaze upon you before angling his chair closer and sitting down again. You pull out the oxygen tubes out of your nostrils. You crinkle your nose and sniff a few times to try and clear away the slight tickling sensation. Bringing your hand up to rub your nose you feel the pinch of the IV in your arm. You asked Bucky what happened.

“You passed out. Lost some blood but it was the bump on your head that did it. They stitched you up so…”

“So when can I get out of here?” you interrupted.

Bucky softly laughed. “We’ll ask the doctor when she comes in. I’m not leaving your side,” he said resuming his hold on your hand.

Within ten minutes a nurse came by to check your vitals. You begged him to have the doctor check on you as well. You never liked hospitals, not that anyone really does, so the sooner you could get out of there the better. The doctor came in soon after. She said she wanted to monitor you for a few more hours before discharging you. You huffed loudly in disappointment. The nurse came back with lunch. You lifted the cover and stared at your “food” with a cautious face. There was some form of meat that looked very unappetizing, grey mashed potatoes and string beans.

“Bucky this looks like something straight out of your time. In fact, it might be just as old as you are,” you joked.

“Very funny,” he drawled. “Eat. You need to eat to get your strength back.”

You hesitantly took your fork to the food. You ate a few frozen string beans and tasted the cold mashed potatoes. Bump on the head or not there was no way you were touching whatever that meat was pretending to be. Bucky told you the details of the successful take down of Krasnov and the weapons while you played with the mashed potatoes with your fork. You drank a small container of orange juice and took your chance with a pudding cup.

“I want pizzaaaaa,” you whined and made a sad face to Bucky.

He laughed and promised that you would get it.

A few moments later Maria Hill and another SHIELD agent walk into your room.

“Director Hill!” you gasped.

“Agent Y/L/N. Bucky,” she nodded after acknowledging you both. “I wanted to personally thank you for your service. You devoted the better part of 3 months to your mission. Your tireless efforts helped stop the distribution of dangerous weapons, lead to the capture of Viktor Krasnov and Anthony Martucci, and you helped expose former Agent Tyler Moore.”

You cocked your head in slight confusion. You looked towards Bucky who gave you a not-so-innocent smile and winked.

“Agent Chan, if you could…”

Maria gestured towards the other agent who had been silently standing beside her. He handed you a drawstring bag. You opened it and pulled out SHIELD branded sweatpants and sweatshirt along with canvas slip on shoes.

“So you have something to change into,” she said.

You thanked them both.

“You’ll have to vacate the apartment by the end of the week. HR will be in contact soon. You have a paid month’s leave but there is some paperwork to fill out. Take care of yourself. I look forward to seeing you soon Agent,” she said before leaving the room.

You whipped your head faster than you should have towards Bucky. “Spill it!” you demanded.

He explained that early this morning Tyler came to the hospital with another agent claiming to check up on you. Bucky immediately punched him in the face. He confronted Tyler about using the photostatic veil to stalk and assault you at the club. He denied it of course. Bucky gave his phone to the other agent and asked them to open the attachment sent from Sharon Carter.

“Sharon? How did she know?”

“I asked her to look into it. I was so upset when you told me what Tyler did. I know you wanted to focus on the mission but I couldn’t let him get away with it. Sharon was able to get proof. She found security footage showing Tyler sneaking one of the veils into his briefcase.”

“Bucky I… wow… thank you.”

“It was my pleasure. I really care about you Y/N,” he replied, leaning in close to you.

He captured your lips in a soft and sensual kiss. A faint whimper escaped from your mouth when you broke apart. Your foreheads were touching, noses pressed softly together. You both stared into each other’s eyes and smiled. You giggled and looked away, unable to contain the bubbling feeling of adoration you felt inside.

“I can’t believe you punched him! I would have loved to see that.”

“I’m not going to lie, it felt great,” Bucky boasted.

You both burst into laughter.

The next few hours passed by faster than you ever thought possible. There was a small TV hanging from the wall but neither of you paid attention to it. This was the first time you and Bucky had the time to really get to know each other. There were no distractions, no more undercover work, no more late schedules, no negative tension between you and you both took advantage of that.

Your conversations were effortless. They flowed so naturally, as if you had known each other all your lives. You talked about everything. You spoke about your childhoods and compared the differences of growing up in his time versus your own. Bucky told you about all the times Steve went looking for trouble and how he had to help his best friend out no matter the consequences.

He even opened up about his fall from the train and subsequent capture. He’s spoken about HYDRA before in bits and pieces, but he always seemed restrained. Based on the way he was speaking it was obvious that very few people have heard his full story. But here he was, stripped of any fear or insecurities, telling someone he’s known for less than a week the heartbreaking account of his life. You squeezed his hand in support when his voice started to crack. You didn’t ask him to talk about this but he did anyway and you appreciated his trust in you.

The subject eventually changed to something lighter. You discussed all the things Bucky is catching up on from movies to music. He finished reading the book on your tablet. You talked about that for as long as you could. You still had a few chapters to go but he promised he wouldn’t spoil the ending. He asked about your interests outside of work. You had a few common interests, dancing being one of them. The nurse had come in a few times to draw some blood and check your pressure but you barely paid attention to him. You were so distracted with Bucky you also failed to notice the sun had set.

The doctor came in and examined you once more. She discharged you and you were thankful to be able to leave. Your stomach was rumbling like crazy so you were very excited at the prospect of pizza. You changed into the clothes Agent Chan provided and walked out of the hospital with your arm linked around Bucky’s.

You pulled him towards the pathway that lead to the sidewalk.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Let’s go. The apartment isn’t far.”

Bucky immediately protested. He suggests taking a cab. You try to reason with him saying that you need the fresh air. Unfortunately the lack of food caused you to wobble a bit. Bucky pulled you close to him with concern. You assured him you’re only a little dizzy because you didn’t eat, blaming the hospital for their lack of anything edible.

Bucky ordered pizza during the cab ride home. Your increasingly loud stomach appreciated that he didn’t waste any time. Bucky helped you slowly climbed the stairs up to the apartment. He opened the door and sat you down on the couch. You immediately melted into the cushions. Not only is hospital food terrible but their beds might as well be made of concrete. Bucky brought over a tall glass of orange juice for you. You finished it and almost set it down on the slanted coffee table. He ripped off the dangling wooden leg and set it aside. He found some boxes and books and propped up the table with them. You placed the glass on the now leveled table.

You started to feel warm and wanted to take the sweatshirt off. You went to your bedroom and changed into a loose short sleeved shirt. You put on some thin socks and threw the shoes in the closet. Looking up you saw your suitcases on the top shelf.

You called out for Bucky and he rushed in. He was in the middle of changing as well. His current combination of leather and sweatpants made you laugh. You asked if he could bring your suitcases down. He smiled and told you he would and that he would even help you pack if you needed him to but that you didn’t need to worry about this now.

The pizza arrived fairly quickly. You ate your first slice fast, not getting the chance to savor the delicious cheese and sauce. You ate your second slice at a normal pace. Bucky was already finishing his fourth. You wondered if he had eaten anything today. Based on the way he was consuming the slices you weren’t sure, and then you felt a little selfish for not asking. You took a few bites from a third slice but the bloat you felt in your stomach was your cue to stop. Bucky finished the slice for you. You noticed a little bit of sauce near his lips. You shook your head and laughed in return.

“What!” he exclaimed.

“Nothing,” you replied, unable to contain the smile on your face.

“Is there something on my face?” he asked, laughing.

You shrugged and then laughed as you got up from the table to put your plate in the sink. Bucky followed you and wrapped his arms around your waist from behind. He spun you around to face him and peppered sloppy kisses on your face while you playfully screamed.

“There. Now there’s something on your face,” he laughed.

You wiped your face with your hand and motioned to wipe the remnants of the sauce back on him. He caught your hand and pulled you in for a quick but tender kiss.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, tightening his grip around your waist.

“Doing okay. A little sore and achy.”

You walked to the couch hand in hand. Grabbing the remote you accessed your flash drive.

“So we watched a movie from your time, now you can watch one from mine,” you said, scrolling down to The Little Mermaid.

You got comfortable leaning against Bucky as the movie played. His arm wraps around you carefully so he does not touch your covered stitches. He smiles when he feels your body shifting during “Under the Sea”. You couldn’t help that it was an upbeat song.

During “Kiss the Girl” Bucky couldn’t help but tilt your chin up as he leaned down to kiss you. You snuggled back into him afterwards but jolted up when he yelled at Flotsam and Jetsam for tipping over Ariel and Eric’s boat. You laughed and rested your head on Bucky again.

You really fought to keep your eyes open but couldn’t. Before Ariel got her voice back on the boat you were fast asleep. Realizing this Bucky lowered the volume of the movie. When the movie ended he slowly got off the couch and lifted you into his arms. He was thankful that his actions did not disturb you. He laid you down into the bed and covered you. He left the door ajar.

Bucky quickly undressed and took a shower. He wanted to stay under the warm soothing water forever but the thought of being at your side enticed him more. He put on black boxer-briefs, towel dried his hair until it was a little damp and combed the knots out. He tied it up into a small bun.

He entered the room and slowly eased himself onto the bed. You woke up feeling the dip of his solid body on the mattress. Bucky’s was laying close to the edge of the bed on his side with his back to you. You moved over closing part of the gap between your bodies. Your left arm snaked over his body and Bucky scooted back towards you. You placed an open palm on his chest. His cool metal arm brushed your skin and sent a chill through your body. You placed a few languid kisses on his back before submitting to sleep again.

 

* * *

You woke up with your head and arm resting on Bucky’s bare chest. His metal arm was wrapped around your back. You felt his eyes on you and so you turned to look at him. He greets you good morning with a gravelly voice. You smile and reply, placing your head back down on his chest. You grip him tighter. You’re so comfortable against his warm body and you really don’t want to get up. You close your eyes and continue to cuddle, occasionally feeling his arms adjusting their position around you.

You stay this way for a while before your mutually growling stomachs forces you both to get up. You sit at the edge of the bed and groan feeling every muscle in your body aching.

“Are you okay?”

“Still achy. Do you remember which pain reliever I can take?”

Bucky walked past you giving you a better few of his muscular body. Admittedly that sight had made you feel a little better. He comes back and hands you a bottle. You walk to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and swallow the pills. Bucky put on a t-shirt and sweatpants (much to your dismay) and joined you.

“I think I’m going to make an omelette. Do you want one?” you asked Bucky.

He asks if you’re feeling up to cooking and you assure him you are. He gives you a scrutinizing look but ultimately trusts you. He pulls out a package of bacon and asks if you want some but you decline. He grabs a frying pan to make it for himself. You cracked your eggs, added some seasoning and beat them together. You take out some feta cheese and a variety of vegetables, spinach, tomatoes, and bell peppers to prep. While you make the omelettes Bucky cooks the whole package of bacon and makes some toast.

You sit down together to eat. Bucky praises your omelette. You steal a few strips of bacon off his plate and smile.

“I thought you didn’t want any,” he laughed.

“Changed my mind. Plus you have more than enough to share,” you joke.

Your mind drifts while you’re eating. You want to call your mom and let her know that you’re okay and coming home soon. You think about your friends at “work”, Charlene, Mikiko and Amanda. You hoped they were safe and got out of the club unscathed. You wonder if SHIELD recovered your phone from the side table. It was their phone technically but it had the girls’ phone numbers on it and you wondered if they had tried to call you. Part of you wants to reach out and let them know that you’re okay but you’re pretty sure that you can’t. You also wondered what you were supposed to do with all of the money you made from the club. You had been cataloging your earnings and kept the money in a secured lock box. If it were up to you you would split the money between the girls. Again, you doubt that’s allowed but hopefully HR can answer your questions.

Bucky snapped you out of your thoughts and asked if you were alright. You tell him you were fine, just thinking about too many things at once.

“Okay, I just wanted to make sure you were feeling better,” he said rubbing his thumb along your hand.

The midday sunlight was shining in through the balcony window surrounding his body with an angelic glow. An angel, that’s what he was. He said he would come back for you at the club and he did. You were handling things as best as you could but between hitting your head and having your hands bound you hate to think what would have happened if Bucky didn’t show up when he did.

Bucky gets up to wash the dishes. As he stands in front of the sink you wrap your arms around him laying your turned head into his back. He turns around happily confusion.

“Thank you Bucky. For everything,” you said facing him. He kissed your forehead and hugged you back. You stayed like that for a few moments and everything felt right. You broke the hug and told him you were going to take a shower.

You let the water run for a bit while you take off various gauzes and bandages that cover your wounds. You run your hands through your knotted hair and feel the crunch of dried blood. Bleh! You wish you were allowed to have showered yesterday because you feel disgusting.

Getting into the shower was easy but you had to adjust the temperature a few times. Too cold and you were shivering and uncomfortable, too hot and you were in pain. Finally you found the right setting. You took your time showering. You had lessened the water pressure because it was aggravating your sutures and so everything took longer. You shampooed your hair twice ensuring its cleanliness. You carefully washed your body making sure you did not scrub over your wounds with your loofah. When you finally exited the shower you spent a solid 5 minutes detangling your hair. Showering felt great. It’s so nice to feel clean again and it helped relieve some of the ache you felt.

You secured your towel and went into the bedroom to change. You slipped a tank top on over your bra and wore just a pair of plaid sleep shorts. Looking at your open drawers reminded you about packing. At least there wasn’t much to do. You only had to pack up the things you brought, clothes, shoes, accessories and toiletries. SHIELD has to take care of the rest. Hmmm maybe that’s where your earned money will go; back into funding other undercover projects. You take the time to dry and style your hair. Nothing fancy, but you just didn’t want to end up with a knotted bird’s nest again.

You leave the bedroom and grab the first aid kit. The abrasion on your cheek is healing well. The swelling went down and so you’re able to use a regular bandaid. You ask Bucky for help in covering your stitches. Sitting on the couch you hold the nonstick pad in place on your arm as he secures it with medical tape. You stand up in front of Bucky facing away from him. You ask him how the cut on the back of your thigh looks. He pauses briefly, staring at your clothed backside. You bend over slightly arching your back thinking he hasn’t responded because he can’t see the wound. Instead you’ve just made it even harder for him to speak.

Looking over your shoulder to check on him you see his eyes are opened wide, mouth agape staring.

“Like what you see?” you said laughing.

“Uhh sorry,” he said running his hands through his hair. You chuckle.

“The cut looks clean. A large bandage should be fine,” he raggedly breathes out.

He grabs what he needs from the first aid kit and places the bandaid over your wound. His touch lingers on the back of your thigh causing your nipples to harden and goosebumps to coat your skin.

You turn around and straddle him. He seemed surprised but quickly placed his hands on your waist. You felt his bulging arousal through his thin sweatpants.

“You didn’t answer me,” you said tilting your head. “Do you like what you see?” You looked down at Bucky with passion burning in your eyes.

“No,” he said biting his bottom lip. “I fucking love what I see.”

Your lips crashed feverishly with his. His tongue slipped wildly into your mouth. His hands roamed up and down your back. Bucky released your lips and kissed a wet trail down your neck. You moaned when he found the spot on your neck that made you melt. You felt the wetness start to pool in your center and you began grinding your hips onto his erection.

Bucky got up from the couch still holding you. Securing your legs around him he carefully walked into the bedroom. You were kissing and sucking on his neck until you felt him stop walking. He bent down to gently place you on the bed. He pulled his shirt over his head in one quick motion before crawling above you.

Wisps of his dark hair fell in front of his face. You slowly pushed them behind his ears, staring at his half-lidded eyes. You smiled at him and grabbed the back of his head gently bringing his lips to yours. You started with feather light kisses, slowly opening your mouth more and more. He gently sucked on your bottom lip, and let his tongue slip into your mouth. The passion in your kissing was building; it matched the heat you felt in your core.

Bucky pulled off your tank top and ghosted his lips down your neck to the valley of your breasts. He licked and sucked his way along your skin discovering the locations that made you writhe underneath him. His slipped his hands to your back. You felt a shiver run down your spine as his metal hand unclasped your bra. Your nipples hardened in anticipation. Bucky threw your bra to the ground.

“Fuck,” he moaned at the sight of your breasts.

Bucky cupped your breasts in his hand squeezing them lightly before leaning down. He licked his lips and teased your nipples with the flick of his tongue. You squirmed underneath him pushing your hips up towards his body. Bucky took your nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and sucking softly. You gasped and arched your back. His metal hand went to your other breast, kneading the flesh and gently twisting your hardened nipple. He took turns with his mouth and hands, kissing a trail between your breasts before taking the erect bud into his warm mouth. You moaned in delight under the ministrations of his magical tongue. You felt like your wetness was soaking through your shorts.

Bucky kissed his way down your body; his hands followed lightly teasing you from your ribs to your waist. He hooked his fingers in the waistband of your shorts. You lifted your hips up allowing him to slowly pull them off. Bucky continued kissing down your body, gently spreading your legs apart. He teased you kissing your thighs, getting closer and closer to your hot center before you felt the scratch of his beard tickle your other thigh.

You fell apart the second you felt his tongue lick a broad line up your aching core. Bucky smiled as his tongue slid up and down your folds, moaning as he was discovering every inch of you. He wrapped his lips around your clit and sucked softly. He looked up at you, your back was arched, eyes shut before you opened them to meet his gaze.

He licked your dripping pussy, moaning as he tasted every part of you. He flicked his tongue rapidly over your clit causing you to cry out. He wrapped his arms around your thighs pulling you closer to his mouth. He changed his pattern from flicks and broad licks to covering your entire pussy with his mouth. You moaned and cried out as he slipped his fingers inside you, curling them to find your g-spot.

Bucky continued to suck on your clit. You grabbed the back of his head, “Oh fuck, r-right there,” you moaned.

You felt the coil inside you snap as your legs trembled around him.

“F-fuck, Bucky!” you cried.

Bucky rode out your orgasm with his mouth still attached to you. He moaned lapping up your juices as you calmed down from your high. Your cheeks were flushed and you were still trying to regulate your breathing. Bucky moved up your body and kissed your lips. You tasted yourself on his mouth.

You pushed Bucky to lie on his back. He helps you slide his sweatpants off. Your eyes widen at the sight of his cock. It sprung up and hit his belly with a loud slap. You grabbed the base of his shaft and slowly licked the underside, feeling the pulsing vein that ran up it. You tease him again dragging your tongue up and down his shaft and delicately up to his head. You swiped the beads of pre-cum over his head. Bucky hisses and bites his lip in anticipation.

You slowly take him into your warm wet mouth. You begin bobbing your head up and down, swirling your tongue around his length. Your hands were pumping the rest of his shaft. You looked up at him watching the pleasure take over his face. You hummed when you felt his fullness in your mouth, tasting his salty-sweetness. You relaxed your throat and slowly slid him into your mouth further. Bucky growled as his tip hit the back of your throat. You took him in deeper each time. He moaned and bucked his hips with your rhythm. You released him with a pop.

Your hands worked his length, stroking him with corkscrew motions while you brought your mouth to his balls. You licked the heavy sac before taking it into your mouth and sucking hard. Bucky popped his hips up at the sensation.

“Ohhhh, fffffuckkk,” he cried.

You repeated your actions but lessened the intensity. You didn’t want him to cum just yet. You brought your lips back to the head of his cock, swirling your tongue and moaning around it and his shaft. Bucky moaned watching his length disappear into your mouth.

“Come here,” he commanded.

He grabbed your face and kissed you fiercely. Bucky flipped you on your back, diving into your pussy again. You screamed as his tongue worked your folds with intensity. His tongue relentlessly sucked at your clit. Your orgasm came quickly after feeling his moans vibrating throughout your body. You cried out feeling the hot waves roll over you.

Bucky looked up at you before he rubbed his dick on your folds, coating himself in your wetness. He lined himself up with your entrance and slowly pushed himself in. He pushed until he was fully seated inside of you.

“Mmmmm Bucky,” you exhaled, adjusting to his size.

“Oh fuck Y/N. You feel so good,” he cried out.

You lifted your hips and he thrusted into you. You found a rhythm, whimpering at the sensation of him filling you completely. Bucky moaned and growled as you cried out and gripped the back of his arms. You lifted your legs allowing him to fuck you deeper. This new angle caused you to cum again. You screamed his name as he slowed his pace.

Bucky slid into you at a painfully slow rate. You pulled him in for a kiss while still trying to catch your breath. You turned him onto his back and straddling him. You guided his length back inside you, slowly feeling yourself being stretched from this new position. Bucky held your waist but let you set the pace. He watched your breasts bounce as you fucked him slowly, moving your hips to get yourself off. He licked his thumb before circling it to your clit, causing you to arch your back and cry out.

Bucky moved his hips into you, fucking you faster. He grabbed your nipple and pinched it while still rubbing your clit. You gasped, feeling your impending release. Bucky groaned as he felt your walls twitching around him. He felt the pulsing in cock, a sign he was ready to explode.

“Fuck Y/N I’m gonna cum.”

“Mmmm me too, Bucky… fuck… I’m gonna…” you cried out.

You scream his name as your whole body shudders. Bucky let out a strangled cry. With one final thrust he spilled himself inside of you, coating your velvety walls with hot jets of cum.

You fall forward onto his chest trying to catch your breath. You slowly slid beside him. Bucky kissed you softly on the lips and again on your forehead. You placed your head on Bucky’s chest. You started to shiver, a response to your post orgasmic bliss, and Bucky wrapped his warm arm around you pulling you closer to him. He grabbed the blanket with his other arm and covered you both. You placed your hand on his chest, you felt his heart still beating rapidly as he came down from his high. You felt secure in his arms and let your eyes close.

You open your eyes and see the warm glow of sunset. Bucky whispers something to you that you didn’t quite hear. You look up and softly hum, wordlessly asking him to repeat himself.

“I asked if you slept well,” he said.

You turned to face Bucky, “I fell asleep?”

“Yeah I really wore you out,” he joked, rubbing your back with his soft hand.

“Ohh, I’m sorry!”

“Don’t be. I’m just waking up myself. You wore me out too,” he said winking at you with a devilish smile.

You smiled back at him and shifted upwards to capture his lips with yours. You placed your head back on his chest, syncing your breaths to Bucky’s. Eventually you both decided to get up again. Bucky got out of bed first. You pulled the sheets up to your armpits and just watched him. He was collecting the thrown clothing from the floor and tossed them to the bed. You unabashedly ogled at his perfectly toned body. He lazily pulled up his sweatpants, tying them dangerously low on his hips. He looked up and caught you staring.

“You like what you see?” he said in a playfully mocking tone.

You nodded your head in response. Bucky walked to your side of the bed, took your hands in his and helped you out of bed. He wrapped your bare frame in his arms and slowly lowered his metal hand down your back following the curves of your body. He grabbed your butt and squeezed causing you to jump a little. You laughed as you called his name out. You can already feel the bruise forming.

Bucky handed you your bra and tank top but you walked to the drawers to put on underwear and pajama bottoms. He threw his shirt back on and you both made your way to the living room. You felt a little warm and so you opened door to the balcony.

You decided to order in food for dinner. Both of you were still too wiped out to make anything. You ordered from a Greek restaurant nearby. One thing you learned is that Bucky can eat a lot. You ordered a bunch of appetizers to split, spanakopita, saganaki, and keftedes. Bucky ordered pork souvlaki and mousaka while you had chicken kebobs over rice and vegetables. He did not protest when you tried his dishes.

A chill ran down your back as you felt the cool breeze come in from the balcony. You got up and grabbed a purple fuzzy throw blanket. You took Bucky’s hand and led him to the outside. The balcony wasn’t very large but you never minded. It was able to fit a lounge chair and that’s all you cared about. Bucky sat down on the chair and you sat in front of him. He wrapped his arms around your waist keeping you close to his body. You placed the blanket over yourself and his legs.

You both looked up at the dark sky. It wasn’t a perfectly clear night, a few clouds were scattered above, but the moon was in full view, casting its silvery light on you. You stared at the stars; some twinkled and some shined bright. You pointed out the Big Dipper, or was it the Little Dipper? Just because you liked looking at the stars doesn’t mean you actually know a lot about them.

Bucky did however and he pointed them both out to you. He pointed to the Big Dipper and the last star that made up the “bowl” of this constellation. He told you it was called Dubhe and that if you followed it you would find the North Star.

“It’s a good way to find where you’re going,” Bucky stated.

You shivered from the breeze and he hugged you tighter.

“So where are we going?” you turned to him to ask.

“Wherever we want Y/N, as long as we’re together.”

Bucky kissed you tenderly, sucking softly on your bottom lip. You hum in satisfaction. Laying your head back against Bucky you resumed staring in awe of the sky. You were unaware that Bucky was looking at you with the same admiration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read this. I hope my writing improves. Any comments or advice are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> The dinner (minus the potatoes) I took from the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.. it was absolutely delicious! So if any of you can get to F&W it was from The Chew Collective Booth-- Grilled Beef Skewer with Romaine, Apricots and Feta Cheese. You'll thank me ;)


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